Night and Day
by AnGeL GiRl9
Summary: Previously posted This is my first attempt at fanfiction so please R&R. AU Faith and Buffy are twins. With the discovery of a prophecy, they are seperated. What happens when they find each other again in Sunnydale?
1. The Beginning

*None of these characters belong to me they are the creations of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.*Please leave feedback if you can this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction and I want to see what you think about it.  
  
Chapter 1- Prophecy Girls  
  
London, England: January 21st, 1981  
  
"Two new potentials have been born." Quentin Travers told the young man sitting across from him. They both belonged to the Watcher's Council, a powerful group of men and women, who along with a young girl called the Slayer, fight the forces of darkness.  
  
"How do you know this?" The young man Dominick Brenton asked.  
  
"The seer told me that twin girls were born today in Oakland, California and both children are potentials." Quentin told his young charge.  
  
"Twins?!" Dominick asked incredously, "Is that even possible?"  
  
"Not only is it possible, but it is prophesied," Quentin explained, "The time will come when two children are born from the same womb and both will be the Chosen Ones. They will fight the forces of darkness as a combined force."  
  
"How come I didn't know about this prophecy?" Dominick asked.  
  
"This prophecy is rather unknown for no one knew when this would happen, however it is important that we separate these girls."  
  
"What? Why?" Dominick asked perturbed.  
  
"We are not doing it now, Dominick, but we must because if they are to be called separately they can not know about one another because the only way one can be called is if the other girl dies." Quentin explained. "You are to go to Oakland now and watch these girls grow until I give you the order for them to be separated." Dominick nodded but in his heart doing what his mentor asked didn't feel right. The girls would not be called for many years, why must they be separated. Quentin on the other hand had not divulged Dominick in the whole prophecy. The prophecy stated that while the girls would fight together, the time would come when one child chose to turn towards light and goodness and the other would turn towards darkness and evil and Quentin felt that in order to thwart this prophecy the girls must be separated so the council could intervene.  
  
Oakland, California: January 21st, 1981  
  
Joyce Summers laid back in her hospital bed exhausted from giving birth to twin daughters just moments before. She was assured that both her daughters were fine but she had barely got a glimpse of them before they were whisked away to the nursery to be checked over and cleaned up. Her husband Hank had gone with the girls to the nursery, and told Joyce that as soon as they were clean up and deemed healthy they would bring them back so she could hold them and see them. For right now she just lay back on he bed and tried to get her strength back. She heard a faint knock on the door and her husband Hank came in with a nurse pushing two incubators.  
  
"Hey honey are you ready to see our babies?" He asked kissing his wife.  
  
"Yes, I've been waiting for this." Joyce told him. The nurse picked up one of the girls and laid her in her mother's arms. The baby was wide-awake surveying the world with her bright green eyes. She had a patch of baby fine blonde hair and a peaches and creme complection . She was wriggling and trying to grasp her mother's hair with her tiny fists. Joyce bent down and kissed her daughter's soft skin taking in the smell of baby powder. She then handed the baby to Hank as the nurse handed her the other child. This little girl was so content to be laying in her mother's arms, she was crying while she was laying in the incubator but as soon as she was placed in her mother's arms she was silent. She was looking at her mother with wide chocolate brown eyes and unlike her sister she had a thick patch of dark brown hair and tan skin which Joyce knew she must of have gotten from Hank's Italian-German heritage. She just laid and reveled in the beauty of her two tiny but perfect daughters wondering how she got so lucky.  
  
"Honey, These are your daughters, have you thought of names for them yet?" Hank asked.  
  
"Yes this little beauty is going to be Faith Elizabeth," Joyce told him indicating the small girl she was holding, "And that little angel you have is going to be Buffy Anne." Her husband smiled and kissed his wife and then kissed his daughters amazed at how in just a few short hours his family had grown.  
  
"Buffy and Faith, you are my little angels." He murmured testing out there names before it was time to give them back to the nurse so she could take them to the nursery. 


	2. Faith's Story

Night And Day: Chapter 2  
  
Oakland, California July 1986  
  
"MOM!!" Five year old Buffy Summers screamed from the living room. Her mother, Joyce, flinched when she heard her daughter screaming. It had been five years since Joyce's twin daughters Buffy and Faith were born. The past five years had at times been the most glorious and the most trying of her life. She loved watching her little girls grow up and develop personalities all their own but they had a boundless amount energy and were as different as night and day which caused many conflicts. Buffy was blonde with green eyes, and she was very girly. She hated to get dirty and spent most of her time inside playing with dolls and Barbies. Faith had dark brown hair and brown eyes and was a tomboy. She didn't mind getting dirty and would rather run around with the boys in the neighborhood than play dolls or Barbies with her sister. However, neither girl was shy and both made friends easily, which was good since they were starting school in about a month. It was also good for Joyce cause she would finally be able to relax that is until the baby whom she was carrying was born in 5 months.  
  
Joyce rushed into the living room where Buffy was still screaming.  
  
"Buffy what did I tell you about screaming for me when you can just come get me?" Joyce asked her youngest daughter. Faith was older than Buffy by about 10 minutes.  
  
"I'm not 'posed to do it. But mommy Faith hit me." Buffy whined. "You are such a baby, Buffy." Faith said sticking her tongue out at her sister.  
  
"AM NOT!" Buffy shouted.  
  
"ARE TOO!"  
  
"AM NOT! AM NOT! AM NOT!"  
  
"ARE TOO! ARE TOO! ARE TOO!"  
  
"ENOUGH!" Joyce shouted, "Now Faith why did you hit your sister?"  
  
"Cause she wouldn't let me watch what I wanted to." Faith said matter-of- factly.  
  
"You couldn't just watch something you both like?" Joyce asked.  
  
"No, cause Buffy watches stupid baby movies." Faith told her mom.  
  
"Do not!" Buffy retorted.  
  
"Do-" Faith began but Joyce stopped her daughter by clapping a hand over the little girl's mouth.  
  
"Stop it now girls. Now Faith apologize to Buffy and play nice until I get dressed and then we will go to the park." Joyce told her daughters.  
  
"Okay mommy." Buffy said, hugging her mom. Faith just stood there staring at her mom.  
  
"Now Faith." Joyce commanded.  
  
"Sorry Buffy." Faith mumbled rolling her eyes at her sister. Joyce bent down and kissed Faith's forehead.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Dominick Brenton had been living in California for the past five years now observing the two little girls who would soon be the Slayers. He had been watching them from afar ever since they were born and had bought the house across the street from them. He had spent the last five years waiting for the call from the watcher's council telling him that it was time to separate the children. Well this morning he had received that phone call. He was to bring the oldest girl, Faith to them. He already had the two tickets to London and was just waiting for the right opportunity. He was sitting at his big picture window watching the house when he saw the two girls and their mother leaving. He got up from his chair by the window and went to his car, pulling out of his driveway behind them. He followed them but not to close until they turned down the street toward the neighborhood park and then he went straight. He now knew where they were going and would take a roundabout way to get there.  
  
****************************************************************  
  
When they reached the park Buffy and Faith ran from the car, Buffy to the swings and Faith to the slides and other equipment. The park was empty except for one other mother and her kids, so Joyce knew she wouldn't lose her kids and sat on a bench pulling out a book.  
  
Dominick pulled up in front of the park and saw Faith sitting on top of a slide out of both her mother and sisters' sight. He got out of his car and slowly walked up to the small girl.  
  
"Hi Faith," He said. Faith looked at him warily but didn't say anything, " Do you know who I am?"  
  
"Nope, and my mommy says I'm not 'posed to talk to strangers." Faith told him.  
  
"Your mommy is a very smart woman but I'm not a stranger. I've lived across the street from you ever since you were a baby." Dominick told the little girl. He had to win her trust otherwise it would be hard to get her to leave with him unnoticed.  
  
"Okay." Faith said.  
  
"Anyways, I have a present with me for you in my car and I asked your mommy if I could take you for ice cream and she said it would be okay." Dominick told Faith.  
  
"Really? What about Buffy?" Faith asked not believing she could do something without Buffy.  
  
"Nope, just you Faith cause you are a very special little girl. Now come with me to my car and I will get your present and we will go get ice cream." Dominick said.  
  
"Okay." Faith said, sliding down the slide and holding her hand out for Dominick to take. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, separating this little girl from her family and she didn't even know. She was innocent and trusting and it broke his heart to have to lie to her like he was. They reached his car and he put her in the passenger side, looking back at her sister and mother and remembering how they looked so he would be able to tell Faith when she got older. He walked around and got in on the driver's side pulling out of the parking lot. He reached in his back seat and handed Faith the brown stuffed dog he had brought for her. She took the dog from him and hugged it and then kissed its head. She sat in her seat staring out the window as Dominick thought just how unfair it was for him to take this little girl away from her family.  
  
"So do you like the dog?" Dominick asked.  
  
"Uh-huh, I named him Lucky. What's your name?" Faith asked.  
  
"Dominick." He told her. He saw the airport come into view and was already trying to think up a lie about why they were at the airport.  
  
"This isn't where you get ice cream." Faith stated.  
  
"I know, but we will get ice cream and then we are going to go on the plane." Dominick told the little girl.  
  
"Are my mommy and daddy gonna be on the plane?" Faith asked her brown eyes filling with tears.  
  
"No not on the plane, but they are going to meet us when we get off the plane." Dominick said.  
  
"Okay Domnick." Faith said. Dominick grabbed the book bag from his backseat and got out of the car the little girl following him. Faith reached out her hand for him to hold and he took it leading her in the airport. He handed his and Faith's tickets to the man at the counter and saw that they still had 20 minutes before they boarded. He took Faith into a gift shop and bought her an ice cream, some candy for the plane and a coloring book and crayons. He then took her and boarded the plane. He got her settled in a seat by the window and he took the aisle seat.  
  
"Have you ever flown before Faith?" Dominick asked.  
  
"No," Faith said looking at him with her eyes wide with fear. "I'm scared, Domnick, will you hold my hand?" Dominick nodded and took her small hand in his own big one. The plane took off and Dominick realized Faith's ears must have popped because she started to wail five minutes into the flight but quieted down a little by the time the captain told them they could take their seatbelts off. Dominick took his own off and then he took Faith's off, picking up the little girl and putting her in his lap.  
  
"Shhh, its okay darling, you will be fine." Dominick soothed, stroking Faith's hair. She buried her face in his chest sobbing but after a little while calmed down and pulled her face out of his chest facing him.  
  
"Domnick, where we goin'?" She asked.  
  
"England, darling."  
  
"Do they talk funny like you in England?" Faith asked smiling at him. He pulled a napkin out and wiped off her tear streaked cheeks and running nose.  
  
"Yep, babe cause that's where I'm from." Dominick told her.  
  
"Do I gotta talk funny?" She asked innocently. Dominick found himself falling in love with this little girl and her innocence and he couldn't believe that he took her from her family.  
  
"Nope you talk fine."  
  
"Is England really far away?"  
  
"Yep, over the big Ocean." Dominick explained.  
  
"Okay, Domnick I like you." Faith stated, "You make me feel good like my daddy does." She laid her head against his chest and let him stroke her hair and rub her back. In a few moments he realized Faith had fallen asleep. As he sat listening to her even breathing and watching her sleep, he decided to quit the council. There was no way he could ever do this again, it just wasn't right for them to take a child as innocent and as loved as Faith just because in 10 years she could become the Slayer. He knew he could never do it again. He also wondered what they would tell her about her family and why she was in England. His eyes filled with tears as he thought about how hard it would be for her. He leaned his chair back to make himself more comfortable and to make Faith more comfortable. He took his jacket and covered Faith with it. He soon fell asleep also. They must have look so funny, a tiny little girl sleeping on this big British guy.  
  
Neither one of them woke up until they were an hour outside of London. Faith opened her eyes and stretched rubbing the sleep from them.  
  
"I'm hungry." She whined to Dominick.  
  
"Well you see that lady up there?" Dominick asked lifting Faith up so she could see the stewardess handing out dinner to all the passengers. Faith just nodded her head, "Well she is going to bring us dinner." He placed Faith in her own seat and pulled down her tray. The stewardess handed him their trays and Dominick cut Faith's food and she ate it all although airplane food sucks.  
  
Within the hour they had landed in London and when they exited the plane they saw a man waiting for them. Dominick knew he must be from the Watcher's council but he had never seen him before so he must be new. They went to the car he had waiting for them and he drove them to the headquarters. Dominick held Faith's hand tightly as they walked in but Faith soon stopped walking and Dominick turned around and knelt in front of her.  
  
"What's wrong Faith?" He asked.  
  
"Domnick, will you carry me?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper. He nodded and lifted the small girl in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. They went straight to Quentin's office, where Quentin, another young woman and young man.  
  
"Ahh so this must be Faith," Quentin said walking over to Dominick and the young girl in his arms. "Dominick put her down so I can look her over please?"  
  
Dominick set the little girl down in front of him and Quentin knelt down to her level.  
  
"Hello Faith I'm Quentin." He said.  
  
"Domnick said my mommy and daddy would be here, where are they?" She asked.  
  
"Your parents died in a plane crash on their way here." Quentin said putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You lie!" Faith shouted kicking him in his shin and running back towards the entrance.  
  
"Jenny go get that girl." Quentin told the young woman, who hurried off.  
  
"How could you do that to her, Quentin?" Dominick asked feeling anger boiling his blood, "For god sakes man she is just a child."  
  
"I did what I had to Dominick, she can't be thinking her parents will come from her all her concentration must be on her work." Quentin told his charge.  
  
"She is five years old, she doesn't know about work. All that child knows is that we took her from her parents, and that some mean old man told her they are dead. Well you know what Quentin, I quit. I can't sit here and watch you hurt a child like that it just isn't right." Dominick said spinning on his heels to walk out of the room.  
  
"You can't quit Dominick, you are to be her watcher." Quentin said quietly.  
  
"Fine I will stay on to be her watcher, and right now I'm going to talk to my charge." He said as he walked out of the room. He found Faith curled up against a wall striking out at any one who came near her.  
  
"You can go now Jenny." Dominick said softly kneeling in front of the little girl who in a few short hours had melted his heart, "Faith, love come here." He said opening his arms. She flew into them putting her head against his shoulder crying.  
  
"Domnick was that mean ole man telling the truth?" Faith asked, "Are my mommy and daddy really dead?"  
  
"Yes babe they really are I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I didn't know until just now." Dominick said stroking Faith's hair as she cried. Faith knew Buffy was still alive because as twins they had a connection, whenever Buffy got hurt Faith felt it and whenever one of them was sad the other could feel it. She could still feel Buffy but not as strongly as before probably because they were so far away from each other.  
  
"Domnick why did you bring me here?" Faith asked peering up at the man holding her.  
  
"Faith do you know about monsters?" Dominick asked.  
  
"Yep but they ain't real." Faith told him.  
  
"But darling they are, and me, Quentin and Jenny help fight them, but one girl fights them all and that girl is called the slayer," Dominick told her, "That's why you are so special because when you get older you are going to be the slayer and fight the monsters."  
  
"Okay, but I'm tired now, can I go to sleep?" She asked, sticking her thumb in her mouth.  
  
"Sure sweetheart." Dominick said picking up the little girl who leaned her head against his chest, one arm wrapped tightly around the stuffed dog he had given her, her eyes closing, "Goodnight sweet angel." He kissed her forehead and walked back into Quentin's office. When she was older he would tell her all about her family because he wanted her to know that they weren't dead and that she wasn't alone, but for now he had to concentrate on training her and hoped she didn't end up hating him when he told her they truth.  
  
TBC. 


	3. Buffy's Story and Dreams

*All characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy*  
  
Feedback: Yes Please  
  
Night and Day: Chapter 3  
  
Oakland, California May 1986  
  
"Mommy, I hafta go potty." A little voice whined. Joyce looked up from her book and saw her daughter Buffy dancing around trying to resist the urge to go to the bathroom. "Okay Buffy, lets find your sister and I'll take you to the bathroom." Joyce told her daughter, "Faith! Come Here!" Joyce expected to see her other daughter running to her, brown hair flying and big brown eyes laughing, but she didn't receive so much as a reply. Buffy took her mom's hand in her own feeling her mother's fear.  
  
"Maybe Faith is hiding." Buffy said trying to calm her mother. For as long as she could remember she was able to feel what other people were feeling if she tried hard enough.  
  
"Maybe you are right honey, lets start looking." Joyce said. Her and Buffy looked all over the park, high and low. They looked in every single little tube Faith could have crawled in, in both the boy's and the girl's bathrooms but there wasn't really that many places for children to hide. There were no woods surrounding the park, just a chain-link fence and a parking lot, that's why Joyce always chose to take her daughters here because it was so enclosed that nothing could really happen, but something had happened and Joyce was scared. She decided to ask the only other family in the park if they had seen Faith.  
  
"Umm excuse me, have you seen my daughter she's as tall as this little girl and she has brown hair and brown eyes?" Joyce asked the woman in front of her.  
  
"No I haven't but maybe if we both look we will be able to find her." The woman told her and Joyce and her split the park in half looking for her daughter. Joyce was hoping that the little girl was just playing a game, even though Joyce knew she would be in big trouble when they found her. Joyce went back over every single hiding spot that the little girl could have found or been in. She went to the parking lot and looked under the cars out there but there was still no Faith. Buffy held her mother's hand tightly and concentrated really hard on trying to feel her sister and find out if she was anywhere nearby. Buffy could still feel Faith's connection with her but it was weak unlike when they were in the same area. She knew then that something really bad had happened to her sister and started to cry.  
  
"Mommy someone tooked Faith." Buffy sobbed burying her head in her mother's thigh. Joyce was shocked by what her daughter had just told her. Ever since they knew Faith had been missing and hadn't been able to find her, the thought that someone had kidnapped her baby had been pushing at the back of her mind but she was afraid to voice that opinion. But now Buffy had voiced it for her and Joyce knew that it could be true. Joyce pulled her daughter off of her leg and knelt down in front of her putting her shaking hands on Buffy's shoulders.  
  
"Why do you say that baby? Did you see someone take Faith?" Joyce asked trying to keep her fear out of her voice.  
  
"No, I didn't see no one take Faith, I just know." Buffy told her mom.  
  
"Buffy if you saw someone take Faith its okay to tell me I won't be mad." Joyce said hoping her daughter would tell her what she needed to her.  
  
"But mommy I didn't see no one take Faith, I swear." Buffy said, and Joyce just nodded sadly, "Mommy we gotta find her, I want her back." Buffy was crying again and she threw her arms around her mom's neck. Joyce collected her sobbing daughter in her arms and stood up, stroking Buffy's hair and fighting her own tears.  
  
"We will Buffy, mommy is going to call the police and they will find her." Joyce soothed her daughter walking to a pay phone. She shifted Buffy and then dialed the police phone number.  
  
"Hello Oakland Police Station." A woman on the other line said when she answered the phone.  
  
"Yes, someone has taken my daughter." Joyce said feeling tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
"Are you sure?" The woman asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm at Kid's Place on Parkland Drive, I've searched the whole entire park and there is no sign of my daughter anywhere, I've asked everyone that was here and we can't find her anywhere. Please, my daughter is only five." Joyce pleaded her tears running down her cheeks, when Buffy felt her mother crying she began to sob harder.  
  
"Okay I'm sending a squad car right over, don't go anywhere." The woman said.  
  
"Thank you. I'm going to call my husband now and tell him." Joyce said hanging up. Joyce didn't know how she was going to tell her husband that Faith was missing. She put the money into the machine and dialed Hank's office number.  
  
"Hello Hank Summers speaking." He said when he answered the phone.  
  
"Hank..." Joyce said as a fresh wave of sobs and tears overtook her.  
  
"Joyce, what's going on? Did something happen to you and the girls?" Hank asked panic evident in his voice.  
  
"It's Faith, she's m-missing, I think she's been kidnapped." Joyce said between sobs.  
  
"Oh god Joyce! Where are you? Have you called the police?" Hank asked.  
  
"I'm at the playground on Parkland, and yes the police are on their way. Hank I need you here with me." Joyce told her husband.  
  
"I know I'm on my way now, I love you." He said before he hung up the phone. Joyce walked numbly over to a bench and sat down Buffy curled up in her lap. She buried her face in Buffy's hair, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"It's okay mommy," Buffy said placing a small hand on her mom's leg,  
  
"The police will find Faith mommy and everything will be okay."  
  
"I hope your right baby, I hope your right." Joyce murmured. They sat on the bench like that for awhile until someone walked up and tapped Joyce on the shoulder. She took her face out of Buffy's hair and faced a man with a gentle face in a police uniform.  
  
"Excuse me miss, did you call about the missing child?" The man asked.  
  
"Yes, sir, my name is Joyce Summers." She said standing up. There was a woman with the man also.  
  
"I'm Detective Stevenson and this is my partner Detective Haversham. Is this the missing child Mrs. Summers?" Detective Stevenson asked indicating Buffy.  
  
"No, this is my other daughter Buffy. Her sister Faith is the one that is missing." Joyce said.  
  
"When is the last time you saw Faith?" Detective Stevenson asked.  
  
"When we first got here, it must of been nearly an hour ago, she was playing on the slide over there." Joyce told him.  
  
"Can you give me a description of your daughter?"  
  
"She's about four-foot, with brown hair that comes down to her shoulders and brown eyes."  
  
"What was she wearing today?"  
  
"A red tee shirt, a pair of denim overalls and white sneakers."  
  
"Any distinguishing marks?"  
  
"She has a birthmark on her right shoulder, like this one." Joyce said pulling up Buffy's sleeve to show the detective the birthmark her and Faith shared.  
  
"Do you have a picture of her?" The detective asked.  
  
"Not with me right now, I have one at home though." Joyce told him. She saw Hank's blue Honda pull into the parking lot. Hank got out of the car and Buffy ran to him.  
  
"Is that your husband?" The detective asked and Joyce nodded. Hank walked over to them carrying Buffy in his arms and hugged his wife planting a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Well we are going to close of the park and the area surrounding it and get a search party going, the best thing for you to do now is go to your house , rest and we will contact you if we get any information." Detective Stevenson told them. They nodded and walked over to their cars, "Oh Detective Haversham will go with you so she can get a picture of your missing daughter."  
  
Joyce drove the two blocks to her house in silence, Buffy was sitting in the backseat and Joyce saw her eyelids fluttering and knew that the little girl was tired. She loved her daughters so much and she couldn't believe she had let something like this happen. If only she had been paying closer attention to Faith no one would have had the chance to take her. Joyce knew she had to pray, pray that the police would find her and bring her home to them where Joyce could hold her again. When she reached the house Hank carried Buffy in and Joyce got a picture of Faith that was taken on her daughters' fifth birthday just mere months before. Faith was smiling her usually great big smile that brightened her whole face and she looked beautiful. Joyce handed it to the detectives and they said they would do everything they could to find her daughter.  
  
"Joyce, I'm going to take Buffy upstairs and lay her down for a nap. I think you should take one to." Joyce nodded absentmindedly as Hank carried her daughter upstairs.  
  
Buffy and Faith's bedroom seemed so different and empty now, one of the twin beds was empty and would stay that way, it was hard for Hank to believe that someone had taken his daughter. He laid Buffy in her bed and covered with a blanket handing her her favorite stuffed bunny, Fluffy.  
  
"Sweet dreams, princess." He said kissing her forehead.  
  
"Daddy will you sit with me, till I fall asleep?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Of course princess." He said sitting on the edge of her bed and playing with her hair, rubbing her back until she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Buffy walked into a bedroom in a house she had never seen before. Faith was sitting at a desk coloring a picture.  
  
"Faith whatcha doin'?" Buffy asked her sister running to her.  
  
"Playin' hide-n-seek." Faith said looking at her twin.  
  
"Well I found ya, so now you can come home." Buffy told her sister.  
  
"No ya didn't, you never will." Faith said. There was something weird about Faith, Buffy thought, she seems a lot older.  
  
"Faith, are ya dead?" Buffy asked in a small voice.  
  
"'Course not silly, you just won't find me." Faith told her sister.  
  
"Faith we will find you, mommy, daddy and the police are looking for you." Buffy told her sister tears filling her eyes.  
  
"No you won't but don't worry, sissy, when we get lots bigger we will be together again." Faith told her sister.  
  
"Please, Faithie, come home now. I want you." Buffy pleaded.  
  
"Can't Buffy, I gotta go now, I love you." Faith said as she walked out of the room, leaving Buffy crying.  
  
Buffy jolted awake drenched in a cold sweat, tears running down her cheeks. It was a dream, Buffy thought climbing out of bed to find her parents. Her parents weren't in the living room so she walked to their bedroom. Her parents were laying on the bed curled up into each other. Buffy walked up to her dad and poked him in the arm.  
  
"Daddy, can I sleep in here with you and mommy?" She asked when her turned towards her.  
  
"Course baby." Hank said lifting his daughter up and placing her in between him and his wife. She curled up against him and he wrapped his arms around her little body, stroking her hair.  
  
"Daddy."  
  
"Huh baby?" Hank asked groggily.  
  
"Do ya think the police are gonna find Faith?" She asked.  
  
"Dunno princess, but we are gonna do our best to find your sister." Hank said.  
  
"Good, cause Daddy I really miss her." Buffy said.  
  
"I know you do baby, I do too. But lets not think about this anymore just go to sleep angel." Hank said, his own tears running down his cheeks. He loved his daughters and wife more than anything and his heart felt like it had a hole in it since Faith was missing and more than anything he just wanted to fill that hole. He laid in bed stroking his daughter's hair and listening to her and her mother's even breathing until he too fell into a restless sleep.  
  
Faith woke up in a strange bedroom, in a strange place fresh from her dream and started to cry. If mommy and daddy are looking for me, how are they gonna find me, if I don't even know where I am, she thought. Then she remembered that Dominick had brought her here, that she was at his house in England. She got out of bed carrying the stuffed dog Dominick had given her and went to find his bedroom. It was dark in the house, but he had left on some lights so she wouldn't be scared. She padded down the hall until she came to his bedroom. Dominick was sprawled across his bed, the light on his nightstand still on and a book on the floor.  
  
"Domnick." Faith said softly walking to his bed and tapping his arm. He opened his eyes and looked at her wearily.  
  
"Huh Faith?" He asked groggily realizing he was still fully clothed in what he had worn on the plane.  
  
"I hadda nightmare can I sleep with you?" Faith asked her brown eyes full of tears.  
  
"Course ya can love." He said and she jumped on the bed curling up next to him. She placed an arm across his chest and snuggled up real tight to him. "What was your dream about Faith?"  
  
"Buffy was in it, she told me mommy and daddy are looking for me. Could it be true? Cause I really want my mommy and daddy." The little girl said sleepily.  
  
"No love its not cause your mommy and daddy have passed away." He said stroking her hair. He knew the girls were twins and both were chosen ones and he wondered if it was possible that they could get into each others dreams or communicate psychically. He would have to ask Quentin about that tomorrow, but for now he just wanted to go back to sleep.  
  
"I know Dominick, they are dead but Buffy isn't, I know she isn't." Faith mumbled. Dominick knew she was right and he wasn't going to tell her any different because she needed that little piece of hope. He knew she was asleep again cause he could hear that her breathing was even once again, and he too shut his eyes and fell asleep.  
  
The next morning Dominick woke up with Faith still curled up against him. In her sleep she had thrown an arm and leg across him, but she didn't have anymore dreams. Dominick untangled himself from her and went into the kitchen to call Quentin and make them breakfast.  
  
"Hello." Quentin said when he answered the phone.  
  
"Quentin, its Dominick. I have to ask you something." Dominick said.  
  
"Okay, Dominick I'm listening." Quentin said.  
  
"Well you know how Faith and her sister are twins and both are the chosen ones, well is it possible for them to communicate psychically. Faith had a dream last night and her sister was in it telling her that her parents were looking for her which they would be doing since their daughter was kidnapped." Dominick said.  
  
"Hmm, well Dominick it is probable that because of their special circumstance they can communicate like that. We will have to brainwash her to make her forget she ever had a sister, make her think she is an only child." Quentin said.  
  
"You want to brainwash a five year old? That is wrong on so many levels and I know you know that." Dominick said.  
  
"It is wrong but it must be done. Where is the girl now?"  
  
"Faith is asleep."  
  
"Well wake her up and feed her some breakfast and bring her to the headquarters, we must start training her today." Quentin said.  
  
"Okay, bye." Dominick said hanging up the phone. Quentin could play his little game with Faith, he could brainwash her all he wanted but Dominick would make sure when she was called and old enough to understand, he would tell her everything, he would have to if the girls were to work together. Chances were she would hate him when that day came but he had to take that chance to let her know where she came from and that she had a whole family who loved her. 


	4. Moving

*All the characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, well except for Dominick.*  
  
Night and Day Chapter 4  
  
London, England February 1997  
  
Faith leaned back in her seat on the plane, putting her headphones over her ears and staring out the window. Faith was the Slayer, the one girl in all the world chosen to fight against the forces of darkness, well she had been for a year now, but she knew it was her destiny from the time she was a child. Her parents had died when she was five years old and her watcher Dominick Brenton had gotten custody of her and had brought her to England where she trained to become the slayer. She had taken on Dominick's last name and when anyone ever asked her about her relationship to Dominick she was to tell them he was her uncle, not that it came up very often. She had never been to a regular school, she was taught by Dominick and the council, and well she never went anywhere unless she was killing some big bad evil. But now her and Dominick were leaving the Council and England because her slayer duties were taking her to California. Dominick had told her she was born in California but she was still excited about going there because all she had known since she was a kid was foggy, damp, rainy England. She swore the sun only came out like once a month there. She felt a tap on her shoulder and pulled her headphones off of her ears, turning to face Dominick.  
  
"What's up Dom?" She asked.  
  
"Could you please take those things off?" He asked trying to hide the annoyance in his voice.  
  
"Dom, its a thirteen hour plane ride, what do you want me to do? Talk to you all thirteen hours?" Faith asked a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. She loved to push his buttons because he was so funny when he got aggravated.  
  
"Very funny Faith, but I need to talk to you about business." Dominick told his charge.  
  
"When don't you?" Faith asked rolling her eyes, "But Dom, big plane full of people, Slayer secret identity thing might be in jeopardy." Dominick had grown to love Faith but at times she could be so aggravating.  
  
"Faith, no one bloody well cares what we talk about." Dominick snapped his anger getting the best of him.  
  
"Whoa, sorry." Faith mumbled.  
  
"Thank you, now as I was going to say, I believe you know that Sunnydale is situated on the Hellmouth....." Dominick began.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I got that." Faith interrupted.  
  
"Faith I wasn't finished. Well you aren't the only slayer that will be living in Sunnydale, there is another girl, Buffy Summers, you and her are to work together." Dominick told Faith.  
  
"Dom, don't you remember the chosen one thing? No where in there does it say anything about there being a chosen two. You told me the only way another slayer could be called is if the first one died. I never died, unless I didn't get called first. Did she die?" Faith asked voicing all her thoughts out loud.  
  
"No Faith neither of you died. There was just a prophecy that at one time two slayers would be chosen to fight the forces of darkness. The two of you were called together and will fight together. You are the chosen two." Dominick said.  
  
"Wow, didn't know there could be two slayers. So when do I get to meet this Buffy chick?" Faith asked.  
  
"Tomorrow when I enroll you in school." Dominick said trying to say it as fast as could hoping Faith would miss it.  
  
"School?!" Faith exclaimed, "I've never been to school before, I've never had friends."  
  
"Don't panic Faith you will do fine. I figured now that the council is out of the way it is time for you to have some semblance of a normal life." He explained.  
  
"Whatever." Faith said, putting her headphones back on and turning to the window.  
  
Dominick stared at his charge for a while and was surprised at how much he had grown to love her and just how beautiful she had become. But now they were going to Sunnydale and Faith would fight alongside a sister she didn't remember she had or even knew existed anymore. Dominick knew he should tell her about her sister and her family but he was afraid to. He was afraid of what it would do to her, afraid it would break her in so many ways, but most of all he was afraid to lose her. He couldn't let that happen, he would do anything to protect her even if it meant he was forced to keep the truth from her for a little longer or maybe even indefinitely.  
  
Los Angeles, California 1997  
  
Ten year old Dawn Summers sat in the backseat of her mom's jeep staring out the window sulkily. God, she thought, Buffy is like a total freak. Its all her fault we have to move to Suckydale. If only she hadn't burnt down the gym and gotten expelled maybe we could still live in LA and mom and dad would still be together. Now she is sitting up there crying like this isn't all her fault. She is such a loser. Dawn had to fight the urge not to kick the back of her sister's seat.  
  
"Dawnie honey what are you thinking about?" Joyce asked looking in the rear view mirror at her youngest.  
  
"Just how much I hate Buffy and how this is all her fault." Dawn told her mom and Buffy started sobbing anew causing Dawn to roll her eyes.  
  
"Dawn Mary Summers, apologize to your sister right now." Joyce demanded.  
  
"Yeah right, she should be the one apologizing. She ruins everything, she ruined my life." Dawn shouted crossing her arms over her chest and flopping back against her seat. Sometimes Joyce wondered where she had gone wrong with her daughters. Both girls were intelligent and beautiful and Joyce could only think back to the day Faith disappeared as the time where she made her fatal mistake. Buffy was a pretty good kid but she was a rebel and she was out of control and neither of her parents could do anything to stop her. She had burned down the Hemery High School gym for god only knows what reason. She had told her mother it was an accident that she had been in there with some girls smoking a cigarette and an ash dropped in the trash can lighting the whole place on fire. Joyce tried to believe Buffy but she felt she was lying. Buffy was just so hard to reach sometimes she was so secretive and shared nothing with her mother. Dawn on the other hand told her mother everything but she had an attitude and loved getting under Buffy's skin. Now as Joyce watched her daughters grow older she couldn't help but wonder what Faith would be like now, what she would look like. She had searched for Faith without stopping for three years, after a year of searching Joyce and Hank had decided to move to Los Angeles because it was just to hard for Joyce to be in the house in Oakland with all the memories of Faith. After Faith's disappearance their marriage had begun to go downhill but they promised each other they would stick it out until Buffy and Dawn were older. But this year with all the problems with Buffy it had become to much for both of them and they decided to get a divorce. Joyce had decided that come summer her and her daughters would move somewhere, where they could begin a new life. She had picked Sunnydale because it wasn't as big as some of the towns in California, and the school system was much better in Sunnydale, however she hadn't wanted to uproot the girls in the middle of the year. But when Buffy had been expelled from school there was nothing keeping them there so she had scheduled the move a lot earlier than planned. Sometimes she wondered if Buffy remembered Faith, but she knew that would be impossible since Joyce didn't talk about her and all the pictures of Faith were put away. Even though Joyce knew it was highly unlikely she felt that one day Faith would come back home to them.  
  
She glanced over at Buffy and saw tears rolling down her oldest's cheeks. Joyce had the urge to comfort her daughter but she didn't because she didn't think Buffy would want it or even welcome it.  
  
Buffy couldn't believe how screwed up her life had become, and how she had screwed up her mother and sister's lives as well. A year ago Buffy was just a typical teenager who cared about nothing more than her hair, her nails, makeup, cheerleading and boys. But that had all changed when one day she was told she was the Chosen one. The one girl in all the world who would fight the forces of darkness. She hadn't asked to be chosen or anything but that didn't matter she was. After that her whole life had changed, she had lost friends because she quit cheerleading and spent all her time in cemeteries looking for vamps to kill. She hadn't even been able to protect her watcher when the vampires attacked him and he had died, the one person who was still her friend had left her because he couldn't deal with her life and the last straw was getting expelled from school. But she was moving now and maybe she could go back to being the normal teenager. The thought almost made her laugh, she couldn't be normal, she knew to much had seen too much to just forget. She knew in some ways that her sister was right that this was all her fault, but no one understood. It wasn't like she could just come out and tell them about the crappy hand life had dealt her, about her destiny, about all of it. But because she was the slayer she had to keep a secret identity, besides telling her parents that she killed vampires and other things that went bump in the night was a one way ticket to the loony bin. She was alone in her fight now that Merrick and Pike were gone, back to being secret identity gal. But there was a bright side to all of this, maybe Sunnydale was different. Buffy felt the car slow down and finally stop. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at the house in front of her.  
  
"Welcome to your new home, girls." Joyce said smiling. Buffy tried to smile back while she surveyed the house. It wasn't bad, it was a white two story house and she knew that their must be some class in Sunnydale.  
  
"Well the outside is nice, but you know what would be even nicer mom? Seeing the inside." Buffy said as if it was the best idea ever. Joyce chuckled softly and climbed from the car her daughters following her. They walked into the house and the two girls immediately shot up the staircase.  
  
"The bedrooms are up there!" Joyce called after her daughters, as she two surveyed the downstairs.  
  
"Mom." Dawn whined at the top of the stairs.  
  
"What Dawnie?" Joyce asked.  
  
"Buffy got the bigger room." Dawn whined crossing her hands over her chest. Joyce rolled her eyes as Buffy came into the foyer.  
  
"Mom, I so didn't not, Dawn is a liar." Buffy told her mom.  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too."  
  
"I hate you!" Dawn shouted sticking her tongue out at Buffy.  
  
"Oh yeah Dawnie you are mature." Buffy shot back rolling her eyes.  
  
"Mom tell her to stop!" Dawn demanded stomping her foot. Joyce rubbed her temples.  
  
"Both of you stop, the rooms are the same size so get over it. Now get down here and help me bring in some stuff. The movers are here." Joyce said leaving the house. Dawn stuck her tongue out at Buffy one more time and Buffy rolled her eyes walking down the stairs Dawn hot on her heels. The movers were now bringing in the couches, tables, chairs, the TV, the beds and the dressers. Dawn and Buffy grabbed the boxes they could handle and put them in the house. When the movers were done and the boxes had been put in the rooms where they belonged, Joyce ordered pizza.  
  
"So girls are you excited about school tomorrow ?" Joyce asked trying to make conversation. Buffy looked at her mother and rolled her eyes and Dawn just snorted but neither girl replied. They ate dinner in silence that night, almost as if each of them was reflecting on the life they left behind. Buffy finished her pizza and threw the plate in garbage going upstairs. The more time she spent with her mother and her sister, the more she wanted to get away to collect her thoughts. She was really itching to take a walk. She went to the room which would now be hers, and grabbed a messenger bag from one of her boxes and threw it over her shoulder, trying to find which box contained her weapons, she found it and pulled out a stake, a cross and some holy water and placed them inside her bag. She was thankful that the movers or her mother didn't realize what was in this box, how exactly could she explain the horde of weapons she had. She knew she would have to hide them good because Dawn was nosy and went through all of her stuff, it was surprising she hadn't found the weapons yet.  
  
Its pretty sad that I can't even go for a damn walk without being armed, Buffy thought as she left her room. She shut off the light and ran down the steps two at a time, getting ready to go out the front door.  
  
"Buffy honey are you going somewhere?" Her mom called from the kitchen.  
  
"Umm yeah I was just gonna take a walk see whats up around here." Buffy told her mom.  
  
"Can I come?" Dawn asked magically appearing in the kitchen doorway.  
  
"No." Buffy and Joyce said in unison.  
  
"Aww, come on," Dawn whined, "I never get to do anything, Buffy gets to do everything." Dawn sat on the floor and pouted hands crossed in front of her chest.  
  
"She is older than you are. Now stop whining or you will go to bed right now." Joyce told her youngest.  
  
"I hate you Buffy!" Dawn shouted running up the stairs. Buffy just looked at her mother and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Be back soon mom." Buffy said walking out the door.  
  
"Be careful." She heard her mom call as she stepped onto the porch.  
  
"Always am." Buffy mumbled to the night air. If only her mother knew just how well Buffy could protect herself. She started off down the street, just surveying her surroundings. When Buffy had gotten two blocks and run into her first graveyard, she felt something unsettling about this place and the hairs on the back of her neck began prickling. She continued walking trying to push the unsettling feeling to the back of her mind, but now she had another feeling and that was one of being followed. She turned and saw a man standing behind her, she quickly surveyed him and then his face changed. His forehead got all bumpy, his eyes glowed yellow, and he bared his fangs at Buffy hissing.  
  
"Great, vampire." Buffy mumbled reaching for her stake.  
  
"Slayer." The vampire said and rushed at Buffy. Buffy managed to kick him in the chest and knock him to the ground.  
  
"How do you always know that? Do I smell?" She asked as the vampire tried to grab her leg, and she stepped on his face. "You know this stalking thing isn't the sexy way to get my attention." She plunged her stake in his chest, feeling it hit flesh, than bone, then muscle and finally he turned into a big pile of dust. Buffy returned her stake to the bag and brushed the vampire dust off of her.  
  
"Whoa, what was that? Why did he turn to dust?" Buffy heard someone ask. Great, she thought, I've been here for less than twelve hours and already I'm holding up to my freak reputation. Buffy slowly turned around and faced a boy and girl who appeared to be her age. The boy was tall with brown hair, the girl was about Buffy's height with fiery red hair.  
  
"Hi, I'm Buffy Summers." She said hoping to shift focus from the vampire she had just slayed.  
  
"Hi I'm Willow Rosenberg, and this is Xander Harris." The girl said.  
  
"Hello, I'm still wigging about the whole guy turning to dust deal." Xander interrupted.  
  
"Oh yeah, y'think you could forget ya saw that?" Buffy asked a half-smile on her face.  
  
"Let me think," Xander said, a pensive look come over his features, "Nope can't do it, now what was that and why did he turn to dust?"  
  
"That would be a vampire. See you run this pointy piece of wood through their hearts and then poof big pile o' dust." Buffy said stepping closer to the kids.  
  
"You must be new here huh?" Willow asked.  
  
"Yeah just moved from LA about five hours ago." Buffy said.  
  
"What year are you?"  
  
"Sophomore, you?"  
  
"Same, maybe me, you and Xander will have some classes together."  
  
"Okay you see I'm still having a bit of a problem with vampires being in Sunnydale. I mean hello, vampires?! And I'm also not getting how you being as little as you are could kick ass like that." Xander said.  
  
"Well I'm a vampire slayer that's what I do. Kill the ooglie-booglies and the things that go bump in the night, 'cept I didn't know there were any in Sunnydale. I kinda quit." Buffy told them.  
  
"Well you sure come prepared for someone who quit." Xander said  
  
"Yep that's my motto be prepared." Buffy quipped smiling at Xander.  
  
"Well now that I know you are like Superchick or something would you mind walking us home?" Xander asked, Buffy laughed and shook her head. She walked them home telling them all about her calling and what she did, and about all the monsters she had come in contact with. They reached Xander's house first and he said goodnight to the two girls, then Buffy walked Willow home. Buffy had agreed to meet Willow and Xander in front of the school the next morning.  
  
When Buffy got home it was a little after nine. She called up to her mom to let her know she was home, and then went to her bedroom. She shut the door behind her and began putting away her weapons, when she heard the door swing open and Dawn was standing there in her pajamas.  
  
"God Dawn, don't you knock?" Buffy asked anger tinting her voice.  
  
"Geez, sorry, whatcha doin'?" Dawn asked.  
  
"None of your business, now go to bed." Buffy told her younger sister a hand on the door.  
  
"I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry about telling you everything was your fault. Its not, well most of it is but I shouldn't of said that, and I'm sorry I told you I hated you." Dawn said quickly.  
  
"No big, Dawnie, now go to bed you have a big day tomorrow." Buffy told her younger sister hugging her and kissing her head.  
  
"'Night Buffy." Dawn said as she went back to her own room.  
  
"Night Dawn." Buffy said shutting her door. Buffy pulled on a pair of pajamas and sat down on her bed pulling a picture out of a box. It was a picture of Buffy and her twin Faith on their fifth birthday only a little while before she was kidnapped.  
  
"God Faith, where are you?" Buffy asked the picture, placing it on her nightstand, "I miss you. I love you and good night wherever you are." She flipped off the light and got under her covers quickly drifting to sleep. 


	5. Meeting Again

Night and Day- Chapter 5  
  
* These characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, I'm just borrowing*  
  
"Buffy, wake up!" Joyce called to her oldest daughter from the bottom of the staircase. Buffy rolled over in her bed and groaned as rays of sunlight splashed across her face.  
  
"Yo, sleeping ugly, rise and shine." Dawn called chucking a stuffed animal at Buffy. Buffy sat up in bed and managed to catch the stuffed animal.  
  
"Out. Now. Dawn." Buffy said menacingly, throwing the stuffed animal back at her little sister, Dawn managed to dodge it and ran from the doorway. School, Buffy thought as she climbed out of bed. She had managed to unpack some stuff the night before and she now dug into her closet trying to find an outfit to wear. She pulled out a black miniskirt and white button up shirt, and a black tank top to wear underneath it pulling on a pair of black boots. She grabbed her messenger bag and then ran down the stairs and in to the kitchen. Joyce was standing over the stove fixing the girls scrambled eggs and some toast. Buffy went to the table and sat down filling up a glass with orange juice as her mom set a plate down in front of her.  
  
"Buffy, I need you to pick Dawn up from school today. I don't have a second key made yet and I'm going to be really busy with the gallery. So just bring Dawn back to the high school, and I will pick you two up around four- thirty or five. Just hang out in the library and do homework or something." Joyce said sitting down at the table.  
  
"But mom.." Buffy began to whine.  
  
"Please honey just do me this favor." She said cutting of her whining daughter.  
  
"Fine mom, whatever." Buffy said, finishing the last of her orange juice and leaving the house to go to the car.  
  
*~*  
  
"Faith! Faith get up!" Dominick shouted, shaking Faith's shoulder's gently. Faith eyes fluttered open briefly, but she just groaned and stuck a pillow over her head. "Now Faith, stop this. You must wake up , I have to enroll you in school." The thought of school made Faith groan louder, but she sat up in bed. Dominick patted her head and walked out of the bedroom. He went back to the kitchen and picked up the phone to call Rupert Giles, the librarian at the school and the other slayer, Buffy's, new watcher.  
  
"'Ello." Rupert said when he answered the phone.  
  
"Ah yes, Rupert, this Dominick Brenton."  
  
"Dominick if this about Buffy, well I haven't met her yet."  
  
"No, I didn't think you had, I called to tell you I'm here in Sunnydale, with Faith, my slayer and I would like to meet with you when I enroll her at the school."  
  
"What do you mean your slayer? There can only be one.."  
  
"I know that but Faith and Buffy well, they are special, I will explain everything to you later. Goodbye for now." Dominick said hanging up the phone, despite Giles' protests. Faith appeared in the doorway wearing a pair of blue jeans, a red baby t and a pair of tennis shoes.  
  
"Its alive." Dominick couldn't help but quip. Faith rolled her eyes and went to the refrigerator pouring herself a glass of milk.  
  
"You should really eat something, Faith."  
  
"Nope, I'm good, I'm just ready to get this whole school thing over with." Faith told him.  
  
"Nervous?" Dominick asked.  
  
"Umm Dom, hello, I'm the slayer I don't get nervous." She said, but deep down there was a gnawing feeling of anxiety.  
  
"Right then, Faith, I suppose we should go." Dominick said, getting up from the table and walking from the house, Faith following.  
  
Joyce's jeep slowed to a stop in front of a big brick building with a sign declaring Sunnydale High School on the front lawn.  
  
"Now Buffy, Dawn gets out of school at two thirty, don't forget to pick her up," Joyce said as Buffy gathered her things and opened the car door," Well have a good day honey." Joyce reached over and kissed her daughter's cheek as the girl climbed out of the car.  
  
"Yeah and don't get expelled!" Dawn called from the backseat, an impish smile on her face.  
  
"Cute Dawn, very cute." Buffy muttered as her mom's car pulled away from the curb. Buffy scanned the crowd looking for any sign of Willow and Xander.  
  
"Hey Buffy." She heard someone behind her say and turned to see Willow and Xander walking up.  
  
"Hey guys." She said as they walked up to her.  
  
"So Buff, slay anymore nasties last night?" Xander asked.  
  
"Nope, but Xand, could we not have this conversation in public places, I mean there is the whole slayer secret identity thing, which yeah is a drag but then there is the whole not wanting everyone to think I'm a big freak thing."  
  
"We don't think your a freak, Buffy." Willow said, smiling at her friend.  
  
"Yeah, we don't but I'm sorry." Xander said shrugging.  
  
"Thanks guys and Xander its really okay." Buffy told him. "So umm you think you could show me where the office is I have to get my schedule."  
  
"Sure, Buffy." Willow said and the group of friends began to walk towards the front of the school.  
  
"Oh look the losers found a new loser friend." Buffy heard a voice behind her remark and she turned around to come face to face with a tall, raven haired girl, dressed extremely fashionably.  
  
"Cordelia, my morning would not be complete without this exchange with you. And let me tell you, you are looking mighty skankalicious this morning." Xander said a goofy grin on his face.  
  
"Oh so funny, Xander, any moment now I'll be sure to laugh." Cordelia retorted. "Nope, never mind it passed. By the way I'm Cordelia Chase, and you are?" She said offering her hand to Buffy.  
  
"Buffy, Buffy Summers." She said taking Cordelia's hand.  
  
"So you're the new kid huh?" Cordelia asked and Buffy nodded. "Where ya from?"  
  
"LA." Buffy told her.  
  
"Wow, that close to all those clothes, oh and shoes." Cordelia said dreamily.  
  
"Wow, vain much?" Xander asked and Willow had to hide the fact that she was giggling behind her hand.  
  
"Just because I care how I look unlike some of us, doesn't make me vain." Cordelia told them.  
  
"Actually Cordelia, that's what vain means." Willow said.  
  
"Whatever." Cordelia said, rolling her eyes. "So you come from LA and you are hanging out with these losers? Well I don't know how it was at your old school but here if you wanna be noticed you hang out with me and mine."  
  
"Well thanks for the offer Cordelia, but I think I'll be fine." Buffy said smiling at the other girl, noticing the looks of shock on Willow and Xander's face.  
  
"Fine, have it your way." Cordelia said strutting away.  
  
"God," Buffy exclaimed, "What is her deal?" Buffy looked from Xander to Willow and saw that they were just staring at her. "What, why are you guys looking at me like I have two heads?"  
  
"Do you realize what you just did?" Willow asked. Buffy knew full well what she had done, something no one had probably ever done for the two of them, turning down the popular girl to hang out with them, but Buffy just shook her head.  
  
"You just turned down Cordelia Chase, the most popular girl in school to hang with us." Willow said in awe. For just a moment Buffy had a sinking feeling of dread in her stomach at the realization her chance at popularity was probably blown now, but then she remembered that Willow and Xander knew her biggest secret and they weren't running away in fear but rather had chosen to hang with her, and she knew exactly why she had done what she did.  
  
"Its no big," She told them blushing, "I hung with girls like that at my old school, not really looking to repeat." She was to ashamed to tell them she was a girl like that at her old school, but that had been before she had been called, and once she was she had lost all her friends, when she started to get way into the slaying they had started rumors about her and not one of them talked to her.  
  
"So you gonna show me where the office is?" Buffy asked them. They both nodded and seemed to accept her answer about why she had done what she did. They walked her to the office and then took off the other way.  
  
"So Buffy, we'll meet at the library for lunch, its easier than searching for you in this school." Willow said as she turned to leave, and Buffy nodded.  
  
"Library?" She heard Xander say as they walked away, "We have a library?"  
  
"Yep Xand, its where the books live." Willow replied. Buffy rolled her eyes and smiled to herself as she entered the office. She went to the principal's door and knocked softly. The principal's name was Synder and he was a short, elfish looking man.  
  
"Principal Synder, I'm Buffy Summers I was told to come here when I got to school today to get my schedule." Buffy said when the principal opened his door.  
  
"Ah yes, Miss Summers, I've been expecting you." He said, gesturing for her to come into his office. He went and sat behind his desk and Buffy sat in the chair he placed in front of it. "So, I've went through your records and its quite a colorful report."  
  
"Well you know, I try my hardest." Buffy said trying to make a joke out of just how bad she knew her school records were.  
  
"Well, this type of behavior will not be tolerated in this school under any circumstance, and I'm here to tell you if you try any of this stuff here you will be gone in a heartbeat." Principal Synder said and Buffy gulped.  
  
"Yes, I understand." She said trying to make her voice stay steady.  
  
"Now, with that said here is your schedule, I expect you to go directly to class now," He said handing her her schedule as she got up to leave, "Oh, and Miss Summers, I will be watching you." Great, Buffy thought as she left his office, my first day and they are employing scare tactics. She rolled her eyes and went to her first class. After her third class of the day, she went to the library to meet Willow and Xander, when she got there both of them were already waiting for her.  
  
"Hey guys you think I can get books for my classes from here?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Sure, I think and the new librarian is so cool, he was a curator at some museum in Britain, you'll like him." Willow said, pulling Buffy into the library.  
  
"Wait, you actually want me to go in there?" Xander asked, "Well no can do, Will this place is giving me the wiggins." He said walking away from the two girls. Willow rolled her eyes and shook her head leading Buffy into the library.  
  
"Mr. Giles?" Willow called. The library seemed abandoned and Buffy began to look around for the librarian.  
  
"Hello, anybody home?" Buffy asked when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and screamed in shock.  
  
"Oh, good afternoon, Miss Rosenberg, and umm her friend." The librarian said and Buffy managed to pick up on his heavy British accent. The librarian was studying her and she began to feel a little uneasy under his scrutiny. He knew this girl, he thought, and then he remembered a picture of the girl who was to be under his care as a watcher and knew this was her.  
  
"Hi, Mr. Giles, this is Buffy she's new here, umm she needs to get some books for her classes." Willow told the creepy librarian.  
  
"Ah yes, Miss Summers I was expecting you." Giles said.  
  
"Geez, did they pass out fliers?" Buffy asked sarcastically, and Giles was taken aback by her manner of speaking. "Because mister librarian man whatever was burnt down or vandalized or whatever fights were started I had nothing to do with it."  
  
"What?" Giles asked startled, "Oh no, um Miss Rosenberg I need to talk to Buffy." Giles said, Willow looked at Buffy to see what was going on but Buffy looked as confused as Willow herself, so she just shrugged and left.  
  
"Okay, you wanna tell me who the hell you are and how you know who I am?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
  
"I'm Rupert Giles, the librarian and your new watcher." He said and Buffy stared at him in disbelief. Wow, this never ends, she thought.  
  
"Well, that's nice to know but I don't really need a watcher." Buffy told him.  
  
"What do you mean? Every slayer must have a watcher and if I'm not mistaken yours is dead." Buffy felt a slight twinge of pain at the mention of her other watcher, Merrick. They had been patrolling one night when they were attacked by a group of vamps, Buffy had struggled to fight them but managed to dust them all, but not before they had killed Merrick. Buffy shudder at the memory and pushed the thoughts of Merrick away, locking her gaze on Giles. She realized he wasn't bad looking for a man his age. Sure he looked a little neurotic, but one would have to be to be a librarian, but he had brown hair and glasses but it was his eyes that Buffy noticed the most, they were young looking and extremely kind. Focus Buffy, she thought reprimanding herself for letting her guard down.  
  
"See that's where you wrong, I don't need a watcher because I'm retired, no more slaying for Buffy." She told him, turning to leave but Giles grabbed her arm, turning her to face him.  
  
"You can't just retire." He told her. Buffy's arms were still crossed in front of her chest and her chin was set defiantly.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Because they will follow you, no matter where you go or what you do they will always be there waiting for the right moment to spring on you. There's a higher power at work, this town is full of mystical forces, there is a reason you were brought here now." Giles told her, and Buffy rolled her eyes.  
  
"That's pretty much because my mom picked now to move here." Buffy said icily. "I really don't have time for this." She shook his hand off her arm and began to walk out of the library.  
  
"Wait!" He called, "You are not destined to fight alone."  
  
"What are you talking about? Who is going to fight with me? Willow? Xander? Oh yeah, maybe I can get them killed too, it will be lots of fun." Buffy said beginning to get angry at him for not leaving her alone and at herself for standing there talking to him.  
  
"Willow and Xander? Do you mean to tell me you told them? Don't you know how dangerous.." Giles began getting flustered.  
  
"Whoa slow down, breathe," Buffy said cutting him off, "Its not like I passed out fliers. They happened to walk up while I was slaying a vamp last night, it is really no biggie." Buffy said, trying not to burst out laughing at the flustered look on Giles' face.  
  
"So you did slay a vampire? I thought you were retired." Giles said.  
  
"Okay, yeah I am, but if I run into one I'll slay it, its not like I think they deserve to live or unlive or whatever, I'm just not going way nuts with it." Buffy told him.  
  
"Well, there is another Slayer here in Sunnydale. She was called at the same time as you were, there was some ancient prophecy about two slayers being called together and chosen to work with one another and you two are the chosen ones." Giles said.  
  
"You know, I'm really sick of you watchers and all your stupid prophecies. So where is this other chick?" Buffy asked just as the library doors swung open.  
  
"Buffy, this is Faith, and her watcher Dominick." Giles told her gesturing towards the door. Buffy felt her heart do a little leap at the name Faith. Could this be, She thought, is it possible that this girl, this other slayer is my sister? But Buffy quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind. The other girl had walked up to Buffy and was scrutinizing her closely. Faith was about Buffy's height with shoulder length brown hair and chocolate brown eyes.  
  
"Well now that you girls have met, I think it would be best if you both went to your classes, just meet back here after classes and we will begin your training." Dominick told them.  
  
"See, that's a problem, I promised my mom I would pick my little sister up from school." Buffy told them.  
  
"Well, bring her here and we will find something for her to do."  
  
"Oh yeah and that would involve what, sharpening stakes, cleaning weapons? She already thinks I'm a big freak, that would totally seal it, besides I could see the look on my mom's face when she told her I let her play with sharp wooden sticks." Buffy said sarcastically.  
  
"Well actually, I was thinking more on the lines of homework, but not here. Maybe you could ask Xander and Willow to help." Giles suggested.  
  
"Oh yeah, that's priceless. Hey I know we just met but can you watch my brat kid sister while I train to fight the undead."  
  
"Okay, maybe it would be best if you girls went to class, Buffy just figure something out and we will see you back here at the end of the day." Dominick said breaking up Giles and Buffy before their argument escalated anymore.  
  
"Sure, whatever." Buffy said rolling her eyes and walking from the library, Faith hot on her heels. Faith turned and waved to Dominick before she left.  
  
"Colorful girl you have there, eh, Rupe." Dominick said chuckling as the girls left the library.  
  
"Ah yes, she is bloody brilliant." Giles grumbled, thinking how this was a lot more than he had bargained for.  
  
So much for getting away from the wonderful world of slaying, Buffy thought bitterly, as she walked from the library. She quickly found Xander and Willow on a bench in the courtyard, and sat down next to them.  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
"Hi Buffy and umm her friend." Xander said indicating Faith, who was still standing nervously shuffling her feet. Buffy realized she had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she hadn't even noticed Faith had followed her.  
  
"Oh, sorry, Willow, Xander this is Faith, she's another slayer, Faith this is Willow and Xander."  
  
"You told them?" Faith asked Buffy her eyes wide with shock.  
  
"Yep sure did, and I even handed out little pamphlets explaining just what I do." Buffy quipped a smile playing on her lips. Faith just stared at her. "Hello, I'm joking." Buffy rolled her eyes taking a bite out of her sandwich.  
  
"Yeah, we stumbled on the Buffster here staking a vampire last night, and she told us all about her chosen one, well now I guess it would be two, status." Xander explained to Faith, "So anyways where are you from Faith?"  
  
"Umm England."  
  
"Wow and you don't even have an annoying British accent." Xander said.  
  
"No, I guess I wouldn't. I was born in California but my parents died when I was five, so my uncle, I mean my watcher took me to the council to train." Faith explained, and now Buffy looked shocked. That must of been hard on her, never knowing her parents and training as hard as those stuffy Brits make a person train for ten years, she couldn't imagine life like that.  
  
"So Buff what did Mr. Giles want?" Willow asked knocking Buffy out of her thoughts.  
  
"Oh just to talk about slayer stuff, he's my new and improved watcher." Buffy said.  
  
"Watcher? Is that like stalker?" Xander asked quizzically.  
  
"Sometimes it feels like it, but no he trains me to fight that's all, but that brings me to my next point and that requires a favor from the two of you."  
  
"Sure Buff, your wish is mine, I mean our command." Xander said.  
  
"Well Giles has a fun filled afternoon of training planned and I'm kinda supposed to get my little sister from school and I was wondering if maybe you guys would keep an eye on her while I train?" Buffy asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure Buff, me and Will can watch the little rugrat."  
  
"Oh my god, thank you so much, I can't pay you but I would be like it if you two would come over to dinner at my place." Buffy said excitedly.  
  
"Geez, Buffy you know exactly how to get to a man's heart, food." Xander said chuckling.  
  
"Oh and Faith you are invited to." Buffy told the other slayer when she saw how uncomfortable the girl looked. The bell rang and they all stood up. "So after school we meet at the library and then we can get my sister." They all walked there separate ways to class and Buffy couldn't help but feel a little hopeful now that she had friends who were willing to help her knowing full well what she was, or rather who she was. She went to her next class a smile on her face.  
  
*TBC* 


	6. Dinner, Patrol and Angel

Giles and Dominick's fun version of training involved Faith and Buffy fighting one another until one of them managed to knock the other on the ground. They were now in the middle of their third fight and both girls were exhausted and sore. At this moment, Faith snapped off a kick at Buffy's chest, Buffy caught Faith's foot in the air and flipped her over, knocking her to the ground. Faith hit the mat and rolled and was soon on her feet assuming fighting position.

"Girls, I believe that is quite enough for today." Giles told them, seeing that it was nearing five and Buffy's mom would be at the school to get her and her younger sister any minute. Both girls let out a sigh of relief and collapsed on the mat, Giles and Dominick handing them bottles of water.

" You aren't a bad fighter." Buffy commented, taking a long gulp of water.

" Thanks, you aren't so bad yourself." Faith told Buffy.

" Yes, you are both strong fighters." Dominick told the girls, " but tonight you will be put to the test when you patrol the cemeteries."

"Yep, so Faith you'll be at my place around seven and then we can patrol after that?" Buffy asked and Faith nodded.

"For what girls?" Giles asked.

"Dinner, nosy, I invited Faith, Xander and Willow over for dinner, do you have a problem with that?" Buffy asked, if Giles and Dominick hadn't figured out by now, she had a problem with authority big time.

"Right, well I suppose that is fine, just as long as you do patrol afterwards." Giles said.

"So glad I have your okay, well I probably should get changed before my mom gets here." Buffy said getting up off the mat and offering her hand to Faith, pulling the other girl to her feet.

"Umm yes you should." Giles said, as the slayers walked out of the library and nearly ran right into Dawn, Willow and Xander. 

"Buffy!" Dawn shouted running up to her sister. When she saw how sweaty her sister was, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Eww your all sweaty, I though you were getting tutored."

" Hello to you too, Dawn, and how was your afternoon?" Buffy asked ignoring her little sister's question.

"Oh my god it was so great, Willow and Xander are like the coolest. They took me to get ice cream, and Xander let me ride on his skateboard and Willow helped me do all my homework." Dawn said excitement rising in her voice; Buffy couldn't help but laugh at her sister's enthusiasm.

"She wasn't too much for you was she?" Buffy asked her friends noticing the tired looks on their faces.

"Nope, nothing lots of food can't make up for." Xander said smirking and Buffy smiled back.

"Well, let me get changed real fast and then I will be back. Dawn don't cause any trouble, go sit quietly in the library with Willow and Xander until I get you." Buffy commanded her younger sister. Dawn rolled her eyes and stomped away. When Buffy had finished changing Joyce was already there waiting for Buffy and Dawn. When they got home Buffy helped Joyce fix dinner for her friends.

" You know Buffy I wished you had given me more notice." Joyce reprimanded her eldest.

"Sorry mom," Buffy said sheepishly, " I just thought it would be nice." She was in the midst of setting the table when she heard the doorbell ring and Dawn shout I'll get it.

"Hey Dawnster." Buffy heard Xander say rumpling Dawn's hair. Buffy peeked out from the dining room and saw her friends standing in the doorway.

"Hey guys, I'm in here." She called to her friends and they walked into the dining room, all greeting her. Joyce came out of the kitchen with a bowl of salad in her hands and set it on the table.

" Hey kids." Joyce said when she had noticed their guests had arrived.

"Oh sorry, mom, this is Willow, Xander and Faith." Buffy said and she couldn't help but notice the shocked look on her mother's face when she said the name Faith and she knew her mother was wondering if this could be Buffy's twin, her other daughter.

"Nice to meet you kids." Joyce said going back into the kitchen. As the kids sat down at the table. Buffy and Joyce hadn't made anything spectacular, just some spaghetti, salad and some garlic bread but still everyone ate as much as they could, even going for seconds or thirds in Xander's case. The dinner conversation was mostly filled by Joyce asking the other kids about school, the town and in Faith's case where she was from and why she had decided to move here. When her mother got up from the table to refill the drinks Buffy saw that it was the perfect opportunity to talk to her mom about what was on her mind.

"Mom," Buffy said when they entered the kitchen, the door clicking shut behind them, "I know what your thinking but its not possible, no way."

"I know that honey, but I just can't help it. She looks just like I imagined your sister would it this age. And you know sometimes my mind gets overexcited." Joyce said filling up the glasses.

"Yeah I know mom, but its been ten years. Why would she show up now, why here?" Buffy said, finally being able to put into words what she had been thinking all day.

"I don't know Buffy, but I just want her back so bad, I want to be able to hold her and to see her again." Joyce said, not realizing until it was to late that she had just told Buffy one of her biggest secrets and at that moment she wished she could take it back. Buffy came over and wrapped her arms around Joyce.

"I know mom," she murmured, " I want her back too." They pulled apart then and brought the drinks back to the table.

"Wow, Mrs. Summers that was great thanks for having us over." Willow said.

"You are welcome, Willow, I'm just so glad Buffy was able to find such great friends on her first day." Joyce said, reaching out and patting her eldest's arm.

"Oh yeah Buffy's so perfect, that's why she got kicked out of her last school." Dawn muttered and everyone turned to look at her. Buffy and Faith both had that special slayer hearing so they knew exactly what she had said. Buffy's face turned red with anger and Faith picked at the tablecloth guiltily.

" What was that honey?" Joyce asked her youngest.

"Oh nothing I was just saying I wish I had friends as cool as Buffy's." Dawn said covering up what she had really said.

"Don't worry Dawnie, you'll find friends soon enough." Willow said smiling at the younger girl and Dawn just shrugged looking at the tablecloth.

"Well thanks mom, everything was great but I think we're gonna head upstairs." Buffy said leaning over and kissing her mom's cheek.

"Unless you need some help cleaning up." Faith said.

"No, I'm fine you kids go on ahead." Joyce told the gang.

"Can I hang with you guys?" Dawn asked Buffy, and Buffy opened her mouth to say no but her mom shot her a look.

"Fine Dawn, whatever but you better not touch anything." Buffy said and her sister squealed in delight running up the stairs, everyone else following.

"Cute kid." Faith mumbled a half-smile on her face.

"Oh yeah, the cutest." Buffy said rolling her eyes. She then remembered how messy her bedroom was and immediately was ashamed that she had invited them up. She hadn't finished unpacking yet, and boxes were still strewn about her room. No one else seemed to mind and they soon found places to sit on Buffy's bed. Willow picked up the picture of Buffy and Faith off of the nightstand and studied it intently.

"Who's this?" She asked Buffy.

"My cousin, her name was Faith too, we were close but she had cancer and passed away when we were five." Buffy explained.

"Na-uh Buffy that isn't our...." Dawn started but Buffy cut her off by pinching her, "Oww." She was about to say something about telling mom but then she saw the deadly look in her sister's eyes and knew that she hadn't wanted to tell her friends about her twin.

"So ladies, what do we have going on for tonight? You want to go to the Bronze and get our groove on?" Xander asked, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"What's that?" Both Faith and Buffy asked in unison causing them to giggle.

"The only place in Sunnydale worth going to, its a club in the bad part of town, but there is always fun to be had there." Willow explained.

"Umm, we'd love to but we kinda promised Dom and Giles we'd pa-" Faith started to say but stopped when Buffy slapped her.

"Study, we-we have to study, at Faith's." Buffy said, nodding her head towards her younger sister who was now going through one of Buffy's drawers. 

" Right, we have to study; you know what crazy study nuts we are." Faith remarked.

"Yeah right." Dawn guffawed.

" Hey Dawnie, didn't I tell you not to touch anything?" Buffy asked snatching one of her stuffed animals out of Dawn's hand.

" God, uptight much?" Dawn said sarcastically.

" Well, if ya finish studying you should stop buy, heck I might even buy you girls a drink." Xander said. He had to admit that two new girls moving into town and wanting to hang out with him all in the same day was like a blessing of some sort.

"Yeah, we will, but right now we should probably get to the studying." Buffy said getting up of the bed and walking to the door, motioning for her friends to follow. "Hello, Dawn, now?"

"I get to come with?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah right not on your life but you aren't hanging out in my room while I'm not here." Buffy told her younger sister.

"Fine, I didn't want to hang out in your stupid room anyway." Dawn said stomping down the hall into her own room and slamming the door. Buffy just looked at her friends and shrugged as they walked down the stairs.

"Hey mom, I'm going to study at Faith's I'll be back in a little while." Buffy called to her mother who was still in the kitchen.

"Okay, have fun, and be careful." Joyce called back.

"Doesn't she realize fun and study don't belong in the same sentence?" Xander asked, as they walked out of Buffy's house.

"She's a mom, to her studying is a great big barrel o' fun." Buffy said. They walked for a little while, until they reached the first cemetery. " Well I guess its time to go kick some undead booty."

" You sure you'll be okay to walk?" Faith asked. If this town was as bad with the evil as everyone said they really shouldn't be out walking around after dark.

"Uh-huh," Xander said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a stake, "Me and Will will be just fine thanks to the big bad splinter."

"Xander, that splinter can stand between living and becoming a meal." Buffy said in mock-seriousness, waving goodbye to them as she and Faith began to walk through the graveyard. They walked in silence for most of the time neither knowing just what to say.

" So Faith, what was it like growing up with the council?" Buffy asked.

" Umm strict, I never even got the chance to go to a real school until now." Faith told Buffy.

" Wow, hey do you remember anything about your real parents?" Buffy asked, she didn't really want to pry but she was curious.

" Nope, and Buffy I really don't wanna talk about this okay?" Faith asked and Buffy shrugged muttering an apology. Now it was back to silence, but Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle and she knew they were being followed. She stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed Faith's arm to make her do the same. At just the right moment, she spun around in a high kick and nearly hit a man in the face.

" You must be the slayer," He said grinning at her, "Frankly, I thought you'd be bigger, well at least taller." Buffy stared at the man and saw that he was extremely handsome, he had brown hair that was spiked up with gel and soulful brown eyes.

"Okay, now I'm really starting to think someone handed out fliers," Buffy said throwing up her hands in exasperation. " Now tell me who the hell you are and how you know who I am and you might get to keep all of you limbs."

" I'm a friend, and you are big talk in the underground, everything that goes bump in the night knows the slayer is in town." The man said.

" Okay, one I don't need anymore friends, and two that still doesn't tell me who you are, like do you have a name?" Buffy asked.

" Who said I was you friend, and my name is Angel." He told her a grin still on his face.

" So you followed me into a graveyard for what? A conversation or gee maybe a cup of tea?" Buffy said rolling her eyes. The way he kept grinning at her was annoying and irritating her.

" To help you get what you want." Angel said.

" Oh and you care to enlighten me on what I want?" Buffy asked.

" To kill them, to hurt them." Angel said, and Buffy turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm, "You think you know what this town is all about, what lurks in the shadows, but you have no idea. There are forces here stronger than you or the other slayer." Angel said, indicating Faith's presence for the first time.

" Yeah Hellmouth, blah, blah, blah, give it a rest already I've heard it all." Buffy said glibly. 

" Fine, so you've heard, just thought I'd warn you." Angel said thrusting a small square box into her hand, Buffy was so struck by his gesture that she just stared at the box in her hand, and by the time she looked up Angel was gone. Faith ran over to Buffy as she opened the box to reveal a silver cross on a silver chain.

" That was wicked weird." Faith remarked, "Who was that guy?"

" He said his name was Angel, and yeah major weirdness factor there, he was tall, dark and handsome in an annoying way. And God is there anyone in this town who doesn't know who we are?" Buffy exclaimed.

"Starting to think not seems like someone got the memo out in time." Faith said, and Buffy just nodded.

" You know what Faith, this patrolling thing isn't happening, lets just call it a night."

" Yeah you're right." Buffy's head was spinning from the day's events and she just wanted to go home and relax. "Well I'll see ya at school tomorrow Buffy." Faith said, waving goodbye to Buffy. Buffy was still wondering if it was possible that Faith was her long lost twin. But more than anything Angel was bothering her. Who was he? Why was he so interested in helping her? And what was with the cross? She made the short walk back to her home and climbed the stairs to her bedroom, laying down and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	7. Finding The Truth

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, they all belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, just borrowing!

Chapter 7

Buffy groaned as the vampire she was fighting snapped of a kick to her chest and sent her flying into a headstone, the breath rushing out of her. Had she been anyone but the slayer she probably would have to contend with a couple of broken ribs, but quick healing came with the slayer package. Buffy regained her balance just as the vampire was advancing on her. She quickly got into fighting position, and when the vampire got close enough she did a roundhouse kick, hitting him in the side of the head and knocking him to the ground. She jumped on him her stake poised and ready to hit its mark.

" He will rise and bring about the end of days, and no one will be able to stop him." The vampire told Buffy, as she thrust the stake into his heart.

" Did anyone tell you that you talk to much?" She quipped as the vampire turned to dust underneath her. Buffy stood up, brushing off her pants. She glanced over to see how Faith was doing and saw that the other slayer was getting ready to stake the vamp that had jumped her.

Buffy had been living in Sunnydale for nearly four months now and this town was without a doubt the weirdest she had ever lived in. Giles, Dominick and Angel weren't wrong about the Hellmouth weirdo vibe. It seemed like every night there was a different oogly-boogly to deal with and always a massive amount of research to be done. But it wasn't like LA, she wasn't fighting alone. She had Willow and Xander, who although they had just met her and had no power or special skills, had thrown themselves into the fight against the forces of darkness without even a moment's hesitation. Then of course there was Faith, Buffy's sister slayer and girl who wasn't unlike Buffy herself, Buffy had spent countless hours wondering whether or not Faith could be her twin, the twin who was taken from Buffy and her family when she was a child. Just thinking about that possibility was nearly killing Buffy, and now that she had become closer to Giles she knew she could ask him to help her figure out whether or not it was even possible. Buffy had gotten close to Giles in the few months that she had been here and respected him immensely, although she liked to give him a hard time. To Buffy he was like a surrogate father, now that her own father was in LA. He was always there to aid Buffy whenever she needed him. And of course there was Angel. Angel, who had shown up with his cryptic wise guy act to tell her about some new big, bad evil and then, disappeared. Angel, who no matter how hard she fought she found herself falling for. All those feelings had culminated one night after a particularly hard battle, in a kiss they shared, a kiss which had ended in Buffy finding out Angel was all that she hated, a vampire. His sire, Darla, had attacked her mother and when Angel tried to save her, he was left behind to take the blame. No matter what Buffy felt for Angel, she knew she had to kill him. But just as she was about to Darla came, and revealed everything that had really happened, forcing Angel to stake her. Buffy found that Angel was not only a vampire, but also a vampire with a soul, a curse put on him by some gypsies. They had shared one last kiss that night, and then he had disappeared. 

" Hello, Earth to Buffy," Faith was saying waving a hand in front of Buffy's face. Buffy shook her head, not realizing just how far in her own thoughts she had been. "Whoa, what planet were you on? Did that vamp say something to make you wig?"

"What?" Buffy asked still half in her own thoughts, "I was just thinking."

" Oh, did it hurt?" Faith asked smirking.

"Huh, no it didn't hurt." Buffy said missing the sarcasm in Faith's tone.

"Wow, B, you are really out of it, you sure that vamp didn't say something?" Faith asked a look of concern on her face.

" Nope, promise, just the usual witty vamp banter about a new big bad rising and basically he just was being cryptic." Buffy told Faith.

" Cryptic huh? I thought the whole cryptic guy thing was Angel's deal," Faith said thoughtfully noticing Buffy flinched at the sound of Angel's name, " Still no word from him huh B?" Buffy just shook her head sadly. "Don't worry B I'm sure he's fine, probably living it up, kicking some undead ass." She looped her arm through Buffy's and Buffy managed a wan smile.

" Yeah, your probably right, its just so weird." 

" Hey B, no offense but Angel, not exactly the poster child for normal." Faith said and Buffy knew in a way Faith was very right. Angel's cryptic guy act was the farthest thing from normal.

" And what exactly are two lovely ladies like you doing in a place like this?" Buffy and Faith heard someone behind them say. They spun around stakes in hand, poised and ready to attack.

" Whoa, back off karate kid, its just me." Xander said, holding his hands up as if in surrender when he was confronted with the two pissed off Slayers, stakes pointed at his heart.

" Xander Harris, didn't anyone ever tell ya not to sneak up on people in a graveyard at night?" Buffy asked letting her stake drop and giving her friend a smile.

" Nope they must of left that out." Xander said.

" Ya know she's right Xand, every time you show up like this you risk a staking not to mention maiming or mutilation." Faith said in mock seriousness, throwing Xander a stake.

" I think I'll take my chances." He said following the girls through the graveyard.

" So Xand, not that I'm not happy to see ya, but did Giles send you?" Buffy asked.

" What, I need an excuse to hang out with my two bestest buds?" Xander asked, slinging his arms around the two girls' shoulders, and the girls just rolled their eyes, "Okay, I was bored and no Giles didn't send me."

" Well thanks for stopping by Xand, but we were just getting ready to call it a night," Buffy told him noticing the disappointment that crossed his features, " But if you feel like being helpful you can umm walk Faith home, I'm going to stop by the library to talk to Giles about our cryptic vamp."

" Oh Angel stopped by?" Xander asked.

" No, Angel didn't come by just because a vamp was being cryptic doesn't mean it was Angel." Buffy exclaimed and Faith mouthed "drop it" to Xander. 

" So umm I guess we'll get going." Xander said.

" Yep, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Buffy said waving bye to her friends.

" Bye, B." Faith called as Buffy walked away. Buffy walked the five blocks to the high school, deciding once and for all that she would tell Giles about her suspicions that Faith could be her twin and hopefully he wouldn't think she was completely nuts and he would try to help her research it. She pushed open the doors to the library and found Giles sitting at the table in the middle of the room, books open around him.

" Giles." Buffy said approaching the table.

" Oh, hello Buffy, did something happen on patrol?" He asked. Buffy shook her head and sat in a chair across from him.

" Nope, no big deal only 2 vamps showed up, but one managed to give me a cryptic warning before I dusted him." Buffy told Giles.

" And what exactly did he say?" Giles asked removing his glasses and cleaning them.

" Umm end of days, big bad evil, yada yada." Buffy said, " I really didn't like him."

" Yes, but did he say anything about what the big bad evil would be?"

" Nope, his exact words were he will rise." Buffy said.

" Hmm, well I better research, see if we can narrow it down." Giles said.

" Giles, that's not why I'm here." Buffy told him and Giles raised his eyebrows at her.

" Did something else happen?" Giles asked concerned.

" No, nothing evil, but Giles is it possible for sisters to become slayers?" Buffy blurted out.

" Huh? Well its never happened before, not that I know of at least. Buffy do you think Dawn could be a potential slayer?" Giles asked.

" No, not Dawn," Buffy said taking in a deep breath before she began her story, "I had a twin, her name was Faith, when we were five she was kidnapped and to this day we don't know where she is. Like the old cliche she vanished without a trace."

"So you think the slayer Faith, might be your twin Faith?" 

" Uh-huh, you think I'm crazy right? But I need to know, I don't even know if it is possible, or if I'm just getting my hopes up for nothing." Buffy said, her gaze concentrated on the table and she absentmindedly was picking at the corner.

" No, Buffy you aren't crazy, you have every right to be curious," He said placing a comforting hand on her arm, " I'll help, I will go through all the books of slayer prophecy, see if there is a prophecy relating to twin slayers, and Buffy don't tell anyone about this not until we know more." Buffy nodded getting up from the chair.

"Thanks Giles." She murmured as she left the library.

The next morning when Buffy woke up she had a feeling of anticipation in the pit of her stomach. She had barely slept at all, she was tossing and turning all night wondering if maybe Giles had found something, maybe Faith was her long lost twin. 

When she reached the school, she didn't even bother looking for any of her friends, she just went straight to the library. Giles was in his office, a book open on his desk. His arms were crossed on top of his desk and his head was on top of his arms and Buffy knew he had fallen asleep at his desk last night. Buffy walked over to him and shook his shoulders gently.

" What?" He said groggily fumbling around his desk for his glasses, when he put them on he saw Buffy standing next to him hands on her hips, an amused look on her face. "Buffy what are you doing here, didn't I tell you to go home?"

"Umm, Giles hello, morning equals school, which is why I'm here. Are you always this grumpy when you wake up?" 

" Oh dear lord, I must of nodded off." Giles said getting up to make himself a cup of tea. 

" Hmm, ya think?" Buffy asked sarcastically, placing her feet on his desk and sitting in his desk chair.

" Yes, very humorous, but don't you have class?" Giles asked walking back to his desk and tapping Buffy's feet to get her to move them from his desk.

" Geez, you really are grumpy in the morning, did you find anything?" Buffy asked choosing to ignore his comment about class.

" I've found out quite a lot actually. The prophecy, the one Dominick used to explain why there are two slayers, it never existed. At least not in any of the books I have." Giles explained.

" So, you mean one of us isn't the slayer?" Buffy asked cutting him off.

" Buffy if you would let me finish, there is a prophecy that fits both your story and Dominick's. The prophecy is a time will come when two children born from the same womb will be chosen and together they will fight the forces of darkness." Giles said, but he left out the part about one going towards the side of good and right and the other going towards the side of darkness. Buffy's jaw dropped and neither one of them said anything for the longest time, both just letting the information sink in.

" So she really is my sister?" Buffy asked in a tiny voice.

" Yes Buffy, I believe so, if what you told me is true, then yes the prophecy is coming true."

" The council, they knew, they knew all along. They took her, oh god Giles, did you know?" Buffy asked her disbelief quickly jumping to hot-blooded anger.

" Of course I didn't know, even when I was training at the council, I never met Faith, I didn't know that the council was getting that active in training potential slayers." Giles explained.

" But Dominick he knew right?" 

" I assume he did, but I don't believe there is any reason to assume he knew about the kidnapping." Giles told her, knowing she was angry, but Buffy had heard enough and was storming out of the library.

" Buffy, wait, where are you going?" Giles asked.

" Away from here, I just can't deal with this right now. I'll be back at the end of the day; we can talk to Faith then."

" Okay, but Buffy don't go to Dominick's just yet, let Faith talk to him." Giles told her, and she nodded walking out of the library and nearly running right into Willow, Xander and Faith.

" Hey Buffster, starting your morning off with some research?" Xander asked, but fell silent when he saw the look on Buffy's face. "Buff, what's up?" He placed a hand on her shoulder.

" Nothing," Buffy said averting her gaze from her friends, "I just kinda want to be alone." She shook Xander's hand off of her shoulder and walked away. The other three kids exchanged looks of concern and Willow decide to go after Buffy.

" Buffy, wait!" She called running after Buffy and grabbing her arm when she caught up to her, "What's wrong?"

" Will, its nothing, I'll be fine." Buffy told her friend, patting Willow's arm and doing her best to smile.

" Buffy, you clearly have something face." 

" Will, don't worry about me I promise you I'll be fine." Buffy said, Willow studied Buffy's face for a moment and then slowly nodded, walking back to Faith and Xander.

Buffy honestly had no idea where she was going, but she was fighting every urge in her body that was telling her to run to Dominick's house and kick his ass, for hurting her, her sister and her family. She just wanted to go somewhere to get comfort without having to explain what was wrong with her. The only place she was able to find that comfort was Angel's and the urge to find him was strong. She knew where he lived, she had followed him there one night after a big battle and now her legs like they had minds of their own were taking her in that direction. His mansion came into view and she walked up to the door and into his house without even knocking.

" Angel?" She called when she entered the house. Angel emerged from somewhere in the back wearing a rumpled white tee shirt, and a pair of jeans, his hair sticking up in places as if he had just woken up.

" Buffy?" He said quizzically when his eyes adjusted to the light and he saw her standing in his doorway. "What are you doing here?" 

" I'm sorry, I shouldn't of come here, I'll go." Buffy said turning to leave, but he came to her, putting a hand on her arm in a gesture to keep her with him.

" Did something happen?" He asked turning her to face him. Her green eyes were full of tears and she quickly looked away from him, shaking her head. " " "Then what is it?" 

"I just.." She began but the tears she had been holding back began to spill down her cheeks, a sob coming from some where deep within her throat. Angel didn't ask any questions just pulled her to him, feeling the tiny slayer's body tremble with sobs, letting her cry against his chest. She relaxed against him, her face buried in his shirt and she became painfully aware that there was no exchange of air, no soft soothing sound of his heart beating. Angel stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head. Buffy didn't even know why she was crying, or why she was here. She was happy she had found her sister. But somewhere all the pain and frustration of not knowing where her sister was all these years, whether or not she was even still alive had been unleashed and she couldn't stop the tears from falling. They were not only tears of pain but also tears of anger, anger that someone could do something like this to her family.

Buffy didn't know how long she had cried, whether it was five minutes or five hours, but finally the tears wouldn't come any longer. She pulled away from Angel and he bent down wiping the stray tears from her dampened cheeks and only then did he venture to ask her what had happened and why she was so upset. He grabbed her arm and led her to his bed, she sat down and Angel sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she leaned against his chest. She spilled out the whole story, barely taking a breath through it, and he sat listening to her silently running his fingers through her golden blond hair.

" I'm so sorry." Angel said when she finished her story, it sounded incredibly stupid, but he was 242 years old and had no idea how to comfort the girl.

" Thank you," She whispered, "For everything, for listening." She turned and faced him, placing her lips gently on his, kissing him. He kissed her back and Buffy felt shivers run up and down her spine at the passion that was now unleashed. As time went on their kisses became more fevered, more passionate. The wanting and longing between the two of them was immensely powerful. Buffy thought it would be odd to make out with him, his hands were so cold and so were his lips without the blood pumping through his body, but it felt natural, and the passion between the two of them was enough to warm them both. She realized just how much she had fallen for him in the short time they had known each other. Angel pushed Buffy onto the bed, his kisses becoming deeper and more passionate, one hand sliding under Buffy's shirt.

" Angel." She said, pulling away from him, " We can't do this, not now." He moved from on top of her and sat at the edge of his bed, his head resting in his hands. He couldn't believe what he had done, she was 16 for god sake, but she was just so beautiful and he wanted her more than he had ever wanted another person. Buffy slid off the bed and stood in front of him.

" I'm sorry." She murmured softly, pulling his hands away from his face, "I have to go, I have to tell Faith what we found out." He nodded, wishing he could go with her, that he could be the one to help her stay strong, to be her champion. But it was still daylight out and that wasn't something he could risk, not if he wanted to be with her. Buffy bent down and kissed him again one last time before she left.

As she walked back to the school, her head was swimming. Angel's kisses were still burned in her mind, the wanting that she felt, she mentally scolded herself for having stopped him. She wanted to run back there again, find solace in his arms anything to help her keep her mind off of what she was about to do. She had to tell Faith something that could break her, or even worse Buffy could lose her again. But she had to take her chances; she had to get her sister back.

*TBC*


	8. Telling Faith

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Just Borrowing.

Chapter 8

When Buffy reached the school, she saw that it was deserted. The campus and parking lot were nearly devoid of all cars and students, except for the few who had stayed after school for sports or what not. Buffy strode down the hall to the library knowing that Faith and Giles would be waiting for her, knowing that it was now that she had to tell Faith the truth about who she was. When she walked into the library Willow, Xander, Faith and Giles were spread out around it, each with a book.

"This is definitely a font of nothing." Xander remarked slamming the book he was reading shut and getting up to get another one of the table. He was the first to notice Buffy standing in the doorway. "Hey Buff, we were researching cryptic guy's message."

" Yep, and these books definitely nothing in them." Faith grumbled.

" Yeah, I mean hello couldn't he have been a little bit more specific?" Willow asked.

" Umm Red, he wouldn't be cryptic then." Faith said smirking. Buffy didn't say anything during their banter, just stood looking at Faith, realizing for the first time just how much the picture she had of her and Faith as children really looked like the girl sitting in front of her now.

" Will, Xand me and Giles need to talk to Faith umm can you wait outside?" Buffy asked softly.

" Sure Buffy." Willow said noticing how upset her friend looked and knowing something big might be going on. Xander opened his mouth to protest but Willow grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the library. When they had left Buffy crossed over to the table sitting down across from Faith.

" What's up B? Why the cryptic?" Faith asked, hanging out with Willow, Xander and Buffy had made her pick up some of their slang. When Buffy didn't answer Faith started to get worried. Buffy didn't look happy, far from it, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were rimmed with red as if she had been crying. 

" Faith," Buffy began but for some reason she was having a problem putting a sentence together, she drew in a shaky breath, hoping everything would go okay, "This is going to sound nuts, but when is your birthday?" 

" Why? Planning a party?" Faith asked and Buffy shot her a look that said '_I'm_ _serious, now shut up and answer my question_.' "Okay, okay, its January 21st." Buffy stopped looking at Faith and glanced at Giles, almost as if imploring him to explain, but he shook his head knowing this was something Buffy had to do herself. Faith looked from Buffy to Giles and then back to Buffy. "Buffy speak."

"Alright here it goes, I had a twin sister, her name was Faith. We were born on January 21st, 1981. When we were five our mom took us to a park and my sister was kidnapped, basically she vanished without a trace. Faith, I think you're my sister." Buffy told Faith. Faith's eyes went wide with shock but she didn't say anything just lowered her gaze to the table. Buffy began to bite her lower lip in nervousness when Faith didn't speak up right away.

"That's impossible," Faith said in a voice which was barely above a whisper bringing her gaze to meet Buffy's, "My parents are dead, they died when I was five. Beside you guys read the prophecy it didn't say anything about twins."

" Faith, that prophecy doesn't exist. There is absolutely no prophecy about two girls being called at the same time, there is however one about twin girls being called together." Giles told the other girl.

" You are wrong." Faith said bitterly.

" Faith," Buffy got up from her chair and went to the other girl, moving to lay a hand on her shoulder, but Faith jerked away from her, "Giles spent all night researching this."

" Well, look harder." Faith said.

" Faith, listen, ever since...."Buffy began.

" SHUT UP! I'm not listening to this anymore, you guys are wrong, both of you. I'm out of here." Faith said jumping out of her chair knocking it over in the process. Both Buffy and Giles jumped at the sound of the chair clattering to the ground. Faith turned and ran from the room not even shooting Buffy and Giles one last look. Buffy turned to run after Faith but Giles stopped her by placing a hand on her arm.

" Buffy, let her go. She's confused, this is something she must deal with on her own." Giles told Buffy.

" No, Giles this isn't something she can deal with on her own, this could break her." Buffy demanded, as she finished what she was saying the library doors flung open and Xander and Willow ran in.

" What happened Buffy?" Xander asked his friend.

" Nothing, Faith just had to get gone." 

" Buffy, Faith ran out of her looking like she saw a ghost, now don't tell me nothing happened." Xander told his friend.

" Xander, please, its just something Faith had to do on her own." Buffy told him.

" And you just let her go? What if something happens to her?" Xander asked incredulously.

" Xander, just let it go, she needs to do this on her own." Buffy said tiredly.

" No, I'm going after her, if you won't then I will, someone needs to help her." He said turning on his heels to leave the library but Willow stepped in front of him.

" Xander, listen to Buffy, if she thought it was dangerous for Faith to go somewhere alone she would have gone with her." Willow told her friend.

" But she didn't and I'm going to." Xander said.

" Xander, resolve face. You aren't going out of that door." Willow told him a serious expression on her face. Buffy couldn't help but feel grateful to Willow for stopping Xander. Xander mumbled something under his breath that she couldn't quite make out and dropped into a chair.

" Giles maybe we should tell them." Buffy said softly hoping that no one but Giles would hear her. Giles looked at her and shook his head.

" Tell us what?" Xander asked. Buffy felt the tears well up in her eyes, not only because of Faith's total disbelief at the truth about her past, but also because she had to keep a secret from her friends, the two people who knew her biggest secret and yet stuck around.

" I c-can't." Buffy said, putting a hand to her face and running out of the library as the tears began to fall. She got half way down the hall and then leaned against the wall, sinking to the floor, head in her hands. She heard footsteps on the hallway and looked up to see Willow come towards her.

" It's okay, Buffy. Whatever happened, you don't have to tell us until your ready." Willow told her friend, but Buffy couldn't' help but notice the hurt look in Willow's eyes.

" Will, I want to tell you, you and Xander but it's not my place, its Faith's. Do you understand?" Buffy asked wiping the tears from her eyes. Willow nodded and offered Buffy her hand helping her friend to her feet. Buffy stood up and hugged Willow, "Thank you, Will, for what you did in there, helping me with Xand and thanks for understanding." Buffy let go of Willow and the two girls walked back into the library arm in arm.

***********************************

Faith was running as quickly as she could away from the library, her mind reeling from the shock of the things Buffy had told her. The only thing she could do now was go to the one person who always made everything alright, who was constant in her life, Dominick. He would tell her that Buffy and Giles were wrong, that there was another prophecy and he would prove it to her. When she was about three blocks from the school she realized that no one had followed her and slowed her pace down to a walk. 

She knew in her heart that Giles and Buffy were wrong, she would remember having a sister. She even sometimes could remember small things about her parents, why wouldn't she remember anything about a sister. Sure she didn't remember what either of her parents looked like but she remembered that her mother smelled like vanilla and that she felt loved, and warm and safe in her parent's arms. That's how she knew what Buffy had told her couldn't be true, but she still had the faintest doubts in her mind. She reached the apartment her and Dominick lived in and ran in the front door. Dominick was sitting on the couch, legs propped up on the coffee table, a book open in his lap. He didn't even turn when Faith walked in.

" Hi Faith," He called. Faith grabbed a soda out of the refrigerator and joined him on the couch. Dominick looked at her when she sat down and he was surprised to see that she looked upset about something. Her eyebrows were furrowed, her lips drawn into a tight line and her eyes seemed to be darker than usual like they always were when she was upset, or angry. "Faith, what's wrong?" Faith dropped her gaze from his, studying her hands and fidgeting.

" Dom, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I have to ask I need to know that truth," Faith stopped and drew in a breath, "Giles and Buffy told me that the prophecy about us being called together doesn't exist, but their is one about twins. Crazy thing is Buffy had a twin, named Faith, who got kidnapped when they were little, she thinks I'm her twin." She couldn't help but chuckle a little at the craziness of the whole idea and she expected to hear him laugh with her but he was just staring at her. "Dominick?"

Dominick was afraid that something like this would happen, that she would find out from someone or somewhere else and hate him for not telling her the truth. Mentally he was beating himself up, he had had every opportunity to tell her but he never had, she should have found out from him, not from Buffy and Giles. Now she was looking at him expectantly much like a child waiting for a treat of some kind, except she was waiting for reassurance that it wasn't true but rather a product of Buffy's own wishful thinking.

" Faith." He said softly.

" Its true isn't it?" Faith asked him in a small voice. Dominick reached out to put a hand on her arm, to comfort her in some way no matter how small, but she moved away from him turning to face the wall.

" Faith, I wanted to tell you, every single day since you came to live with me, but I couldn't, I didn't want to lose you, I didn't know what I would do if I did." He told her.

" Cut the crap, I don't want excuses, I want the truth," Faith said icily, "Tell me why."

"Potential slayers are found at birth, just like you and Buffy were, but the two of you were special. Because you were twins and part of a prophecy. Quentin sent me to Oakland shortly after your birth. Oakland is where you were born. He told me to observe you and Buffy and when the time came I was to separate you and bring you the oldest one to the council to train. But Faith, you have to understand that it killed me to do what I did, the day I brought you to the council, I tried to quit. Only then did they tell me I was to be your watcher. Since that day I vowed to tell you who you really were when the time came, but I couldn't." He explained his voice cracking with emotion at the end. Faith nodded slowly and turned to face him, noticing he had tears in his eyes and that they were full of remorse, but she steeled herself against her own emotions and against his.

" You bastard," She spat, her eyes blazing with anger, a shrill edge to her voice, "How could you? I was just a kid, you tore me from my home, and from the people that loved me, all because of some stupid prophecy. How can you watchers just decide to play God, what gives you the right to take a child away from their home, and tear apart a family that way. How could you make me believe that my parents were dead when all along you had taken me from them."

" Faith, listen to me, I never wanted it to go this far." Dominick said.

" Yeah, well it did. I trusted you, Dominick, I believed that you would never hurt me, that you were the one person I could always count on. Hell, I even loved you, you were the closet thing I had to a father, but you betrayed me. My whole life has been nothing but a lie perpetrated by you and the council of Watchers." Faith nearly shouted at him getting to her feet.

" Faith, believe me when I say I'm truly sorry, I would do anything to take what I did, and what I didn't do back if I could, I never wanted to hurt you." Dominick said, he was trying to make her believe that he would never intentionally hurt her, that he cared for her. Faith grabbed a jacket off of the chair next to her and pulled it on, walking to the front door.

" Well guess what you did, you hurt me more than anyone ever has and sorry won't make it better this time, it just won't go away with a few kind words and an ice cream." Faith told him pulling the door open and running into the night.

" Faith! Wait, we have to talk!" He called after her running to the door, "Faith!" He could just barely make out her frame as she ran and the next thing he knew she was gone. "Bloody hell." He shouted into the night, slamming the door and slumping against it head in his hands hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

*TBC*


	9. Comfort

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, Just borrowing.

When Faith felt she was far enough away from Dominick and her apartment, she slowed her pace down to a walk. She could barely walk let alone run any longer. She was shaking from head to toe with the force of trying to contain the hot tears that were burning her eyes. She had no clue where she was walking to just that she was going to keep walking because the moment she stopped she would break down and everything that she had been told just moments before would be real. She was hoping she would run into someone, one of her friends and that they would be able to comfort her. Faith couldn't believe that someone could do something like this to her, especially Dominick whom she had trusted with everything for as long as she could remember. She had a sharp pain in her chest and she had a feeling that was from her broken heart, but her throat felt tight and it was becoming difficult to draw a breath. Her mind kept replaying her and Dominick's conversation, he had kidnapped her, taken her from her home and her family. She didn't know why she had no memory of having a sister, and she couldn't help but wonder if the council especially Quentin had played with her mind or her memory in some way. She also was thinking about Joyce, Buffy's mom, no her mom now. She wondered if Joyce knew or had thought of the possibility of Faith being her long lost daughter. Faith reached into her pocket, feeling the hard wood of the stake she had placed there, and decided that it was time to kick some undead ass. To Faith kicking ass was like comfort food, and she knew it would make some of the pain of Dominick's betrayal go away for a little while.

*******************************

Xander was walking through Restfield cemetery twirling a stake in his fingers and saying a silent prayer that no monsters would chose now to attack him. He knew if Buffy and Faith found out that he was out here alone without one of them they would kill him. That was the first rule of hanging out with the slayers, never go out alone at night. But right now he didn't care about that, ever since Faith had run out of the library earlier that afternoon he had been worried, and it just got worse when she never came back to the school. He needed to find her figure out what had happened to her, why she had run off like that, he wanted to help her. He had already been through 5 graveyards that night and still there was no sign of her anywhere. He looked at his watch and saw that it was a little bit after nine and he decided he would check one more cemetery and then head home. He couldn't help but notice just how quiet Sunnydale was at night. Even though most of its citizens lived in a constant state of denial about what went on after the sun went down they still stayed off of the streets, but even the streets were devoid of the normal oogly boogly bump in the night things. He was almost out of the cemetery when he saw a movement in the corner of his eyes. He turned to look at where it was coming from and saw Faith walking in the opposite direction. Xander turned and ran towards her, grabbing her arm.

" Xander!" Faith yelped spinning around to face her attacker or so she thought. "Go home Xander." She turned away from him and began to walk the other way, he followed her and soon fell into step next to her.

" Faith, I'm worried about you. What happened in the library?" Xander asked her.

" Xander, I said go home! I'm fine, don't worry about me. I'll deal." Faith told him.

" Faith, someone who is fine doesn't run out on her friends and never come back." Xander told her.

" Please Xander, just leave me alone." She said a pleading tone in her voice. 

" Faith," He said grabbing her arm and turning her to face him, but she wouldn't meet his eyes, "I want to help you, I'll help you deal." Faith pulled her arm out of his grasp, and Xander expected her to turn and run away from him. But she just stood there fiddling with the stake that was clasped in her hand. Xander reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and he realized the small raven-haired slayer was trembling.

" God Faith you are shaking." Xander said, wanting to pull her to him and try to calm her shaking body. Faith looked at him her brown eyes filled with tears.

" Xander everything is so messed up." She managed to tell him in a hoarse voice before the sobs overtook her body. Her tears shocked Xander and for a minute he just stood there watching Faith collapse on the ground her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Xander snapped out of his shock and knelt down on the ground next to her. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and pulled her against his chest. She looked up at him for a second, and he wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks as she turned and buried her face in Xander's chest, her sobs starting anew.

" Shh, Faith, you're all right, you'll be okay." Xander soothed the girl, rubbing her back. He realized what he said sounded like a completely idiotic thing to say but it was the only comfort he could give Faith. Xander felt Faith relax in his arms and he rested his chin on top of her head. All the pain of Dominick's betrayal came pouring out of Faith while she laid in Xander's arms. For some reason being in Xander's arms felt comfortable and she no longer felt she had to keep up her emotional barrier. Xander wanted to ask her what was wrong, why she was crying but he didn't want to take the risk of her running of into the night, especially not when she was upset and definitely in no mood to fight. After awhile he felt Faith stop shaking and he knew she had finished crying but she still didn't move, she just leaned against Xander. Xander sat there holding her, not saying anything, waiting for Faith to make the first move. 

" Xander," Faith said pulling her face out of Xander's chest and looking up at him, her eyes wet and lost much like a child's. Xander reached out a hand and wiped some tears from her cheeks and then stroked her hair. "Thank you." She said pressing her lips to his and Xander couldn't help but respond. He kissed her back, parting her lips with his tongue and kissing her deeply. Their kiss went on for awhile until Xander pulled away.

" Sorry." He mumbled, standing up and offering a hand to Faith, pulling her to her feet. She just shrugged, and stood next to him, taking his hand in her own and lacing her fingers through his as they began to walk towards the exit of the cemetery.

" Xand, can I stay with you tonight?" Faith asked.

" What?!" Xander asked feeling his cheeks turn red at the thought of a girl staying overnight at his house. He saw Faith studying his face and heard her giggle softly, and assumed he must have some kind of stupid expression on his face. "Faith, what happened? Why can't you go home? Did Dominick do something to you, because if he did I swear to God I'll-"

"Xander he didn't do anything, just lied to me my whole life that's all." Faith said stopping when she realized she had told him more than she wanted to.

"Faith, because you are upset I'm gonna stop pushing you to talk. And if you really wanna stay at my house tonight, then you can, god knows those people I call parents don't care what I do." Xander said giving Faith one of his grins. Faith nodded, and they walked towards Xander's house hand in a hand. When they got to the door Xander found himself praying that his parents would be sleeping so that they wouldn't do anything to embarrass him. He opened the front door and led Faith in seeing that his house was dark and the only light was the glow from the television in the living room. Xander peeked into the living room and saw his father passed out on the couch, beer bottles surrounding him. Xander put a finger to his lips to tell Faith to be quiet and he took her hand leading her up the stairs to his room.

" Nice pad." She said observing his bedroom skeptically. He just nodded and sat down on his bed taking his shoes off. "I'm so tired." Faith said crawling into his bed causing Xander to jump off of it. He hadn't had a girl spend the night since he was ten and that was just Willow. Now he had hormones and had hit puberty and he didn't know what kind of betrayal his body planned if he stayed in the same bed with Faith.

"I'm going to change." He said, grabbing a white tee shirt out of his dresser and going to the bathroom. When he came back Faith had taken her shoes off and placed them next to the bed and was curled up underneath his comforter, her eyes shut. Xander walked over to her and he thought she was sleeping and he pushed a few strands of hair off of her face, and kissed her forehead. As he turned to go grab his sleeping bag from the closet and he felt a hand clutch his wrist.

"Xander come lay with me, I don't want to be alone." Faith told him sleepily. He couldn't help but comply, who was he to argue? He slid under the covers next to Faith tensing his body praying to every God he could think of for his body to be compliant. Faith raised herself on her elbows facing him, and then leaned down and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her kissing her back. Their kisses became more and more passionate and Xander pushed Faith onto the bed, rolling on top of her, kissing her feverishly. Faith slid a hand down his back and then he felt one of her hands beginning to slide down the front of his boxers. When he felt that he stopped kissing her, moving one of his own hands and grabbing her roaming hand in his own.

"Faith, no." He said, rolling off of her. He then heard her breathing start to get ragged and he knew she was crying again. "Faith, listen. Its not that I'm not attracted to you, I really am, but your upset and I don't want you to do something you may regret in the morning."

" Xander," Faith said rolling over on her side and laying her head against Xander's chest, "Thank you, you really look out for me, any other guy would totally have take advantage of that situation, but you didn't." Xander didn't say anything, just lay there listening to Faith's breathing as it began to become even again and running his fingers up and down her arm absentmindedly. He was proud of himself for stopping Faith before she managed to do something she regretted, but she had gotten him worked up and now it was just time for him to sleep. He leaned up a little just to glance at Faith and see if she was sleeping. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful, so he knew she must be asleep. He finally was able to relax and felt himself drifting off to sleep Faith's kisses fresh on his mind.


	10. Reunion

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, they all belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

Chapter 10

Buffy groaned and rolled over in bed as the sun spilled across her face from in between her blinds. She had just fallen asleep not to long before after a long night of tossing and turning. She had patrolled for a little while the night before hoping to run into Faith but she didn't have any luck and was a little worried about her sister. Buffy climbed out of bed, still exhausted and threw on some clothes, running downstairs telling her mother and sister that she was walking to school and she would see them that afternoon. She was hoping that if she left early enough she would run into Faith before classes started that day, and that they would have a chance to talk. When she reached the school she saw none of her friends standing in the courtyard where they normally met before classes, and she figured maybe they were in the library researching or just hanging out since it had become Slayer HQ. She entered the library and began to look around for her friends but none of them were anywhere to be found not even Giles. But she did see Dominick sitting at the table in the center of the library, his head in his hands. Seeing Dominick brought back all of the rage Buffy had felt the day before when she found out that the council, more importantly Dominick had taken part in kidnapping her sister. Buffy started to clench and unclench her fists in an unconscious effort to keep herself from just hauling off and beating the crap out of Dominick.

" Giles!" She shouted through gritted teeth. Dominick spun around and faced Buffy, and she gave him a dark look. Soon Giles emerged from between the stacks of books.

" Buffy, unless I am in some extremely immediate danger, is all that screaming really necessary?" Giles asked a little annoyed with his charge.

" Giles what the hell is he doing here?" Buffy asked indicating Dominick with a jerk of her head.

" Buffy, why don't you sit down." Giles said trying to stall.

" Giles I'm fine, now spill, what is he doing here?" Buffy asked again crossing her arms over her chest.

" Dominick is here because Faith never came home last night, he was worried so he came here to see if we had seen her." Giles said. Buffy felt her anger boil over and she was rushing at Dominick, her fists balled and ready to strike.

" You bastard!" She shouted, bringing back her fist and striking Dominick in the face, "I swear to god if anything happens to her, I will kill you." She had raised her fist to strike again and she felt Giles come up behind her and grab her shoulders.

" Buffy stop right now, Faith running away isn't Dominick's fault." Giles said sternly. Buffy shrugged his hands off of her shoulders, turning to face him.

" Giles, I can't lose her, not again." Buffy said in a small voice tears welling in her eyes.

" Buffy don't worry, we'll find her." Giles said, laying a hand on Buffy's shoulder in a comforting gesture. Buffy nodded blinking away her tears and turning to face Dominick. She noticed his cheek was beginning to purple where she had hit him, but also that he seemed haggard, like he hadn't slept all night. 

"Sorry 'bout your face." Buffy mumbled. _Not like the asshole didn't deserve it_, she thought.

" Buffy, I'm truly-" Dominick began.

" Don't, don't you dare apologize to me, now is not the time, right now we have to find Faith and make sure she is safe." Buffy said turning to leave the library both Dominick and Giles following her, "Un-uh Dominick you aren't coming with us, when we find Faith, she sees you, she runs." Dominick nodded at her orders and sat back down. Just as Buffy and Giles turned to leave the library door swung open and Willow came rushing in.

" Will what's wrong?" Buffy asked studying her friend's face.

" Buffy, Xander's missing, he didn't come to school this morning." Willow blurted out. _Great_, Buffy though bitterly, _first Faith and now Xander, this day just can't get any worse_.

" Will, did Xander go anywhere last night? Like to help Faith or me patrol?" Buffy asked feeling her own worry rise. What if Faith and Xander had gotten kidnapped or something equally as bad.

" I don't know, he was worried about Faith after she ran out of the library yesterday, maybe he went to look for her."

" Hmm, it would make sense. Dominick said Faith didn't show up at home last night either."

" Buffy, you don't think Faith and Xander.....they wouldn't be you know together?" Willow asked softly. Buffy knew Willow had a major crush on Xander granted it was unrequited but she knew it would still hurt Willow if Xander ended up with another girl.

" I don't know, but we'll find them I promise." Buffy reassured her friend, reassuring herself at the same time. Willow just nodded silently turning away from Buffy. They left the library and Giles led them to his car in the faculty parking lot. Buffy climbed in the front seat and Willow took the back. They all had agreed to start their search with Xander's house figuring he might be there and had just overslept. As they rounded the corner to his house Buffy and Willow saw him walking towards the school and had Giles pull over.

" Get in, Xander" Buffy said and Xander pulled open the back door and climbed into the car.

" Alexander Harris, where have you been? Did something happen?" Willow asked trying to sound as stern as possible.

" Nope, I just overslept." Xander told his friend.

" Xand, have you seen Faith? And don't lie to me because lying isn't your strongest suit." Buffy demanded.

" Yeah, she got into a fight with Dominick or something last night so I umm let her stay at my house, and don't look at me like that Buffy," He said to Buffy, who was looking at him with one eyebrow raised, but he totally missed Willow's crestfallen expression, "Nothing happened I swear, but anyways she took of this morning, something about she couldn't deal with anyone." 

" But she's safe Xand?" Buffy asked.

" Yeah, she's safe, Buff. Why the wig?" Xander asked. Faith was the slayer after all and it was also light out so no vampires or any other demons would be roaming around Sunnydale.

" Xander, do you have any idea of where she could have gone?" Buffy asked choosing to ignore his previous question. Xander just shook his head. "Wait, I know, Angel's."

" Huh? Why in the world would Faith go to Deadboy's?" Xander asked feeling a little bit of jealousy at thought of Faith at Angel's.

" Umm Xander, he has that pesky allergy to sunlight remember? Besides no one would think to find her there." Buffy said reassuring her friend. She then gave Giles directions to Angel's mansion, and when they pulled up she go out. "You guys, umm go back to school. I can take it from here." Xander and Willow exchanged looks, realizing just how strangely Buffy had been acting for the past two days. Buffy watched as Giles pulled away from the curb and then went up to Angel's front door, pulling it open knowing he couldn't really answer it.

" Buffy." He said a little surprised when she stepped into his house. Faith was there, she had come there earlier that morning and he didn't want Buffy getting the wrong idea. Right now, Faith was in the other room, and he was pretty sure she was asleep.

" Angel," Buffy said reaching up and placing a soft kiss on his lips, "Have you seen Faith?"

" Yeah," He said lowering his gaze, "She's in the bedroom, she was exhausted I think she might be sleeping." Buffy just nodded, she tried not to feel jealous because Angel was with her, but she couldn't help it. She walked into the bedroom and saw Faith sitting up on the bed, her knees pulled to her chest and her chin resting on top of them.

" B, I'm sorry I just didn't," Faith began but she was cut off by surprise when Buffy launched herself at Faith, throwing her arms around her sister's neck.

"Oh god, Faithie, I missed you so much," Buffy said sobbing tears rolling down her cheeks, Faith was still shocked by Buffy's emotions but she tentatively placed her arms around Buffy, "I'm so sorry Faith, I'm sorry you had to go through that, I was so scared, I thought you were dead." Faith felt tears stinging her own eyes but she blinked them back, mentally telling herself to pull it together she was the slayer and she could face anything. Faith stroked Buffy's hair absentmindedly, and then wished it had been Buffy instead of her who had been kidnapped and how unfair life was. She looked up and saw Angel standing in the doorway, looking uncomfortable but watching the display none the less. Faith pulled away from Buffy.

" Buffy did you tell anyone about this?" Faith asked.

" No, it's really not my place." Buffy said wiping the stray tears off of her face. Faith just nodded and got up off of the bed, Buffy following her.

" I think we should tell mom Faith." Buffy said, and Faith nodded. Buffy walked over and mouthed thank you to Angel before leaving his house. They talked on the walk over to Buffy's house about what they would tell Joyce and they both agreed to leave Dominick out of it even though he had really hurt Faith.

" Hi honey." Joyce called from the kitchen when she heard the front door open. Buffy gave Faith a gentle push towards the kitchen, and Joyce looked up to see her oldest daughter and her friend entered. She had thought it was weird that one of Buffy's closest friends since they had moved to Sunnydale had been named Faith, and that she looked so much like what Joyce had imagined her Faith would look like at this age, that is if she was still alive. "Oh, sorry hello Faith." Faith studied Joyce, Buffy's mother, no her mother intently. She saw a little bit of pain, guilt and even some recognition in her mother's eyes. Faith was overcome with guilt when she saw the pain in Joyce's eyes, guilt for protecting Dominick when he was the one who had torn her family apart and had caused her mother pain. Faith felt one lone tear slide down her cheek, and she didn't even bother to wipe it off. She just kept her gaze locked on Joyce, trying to remember anything from her childhood, and wishing she could. She felt Buffy's hand slide into her own and squeeze it. 

" Mommy." Faith whispered in a voice that was barely even audible.

" Buffy, do you care to tell me what is going on?" Joyce asked confused by Faith's tears, and a little uncomfortable with her close scrutiny.

" Mom, I have to tell you something and I don't really know how to tell you this, but Faith, she's your daughter, my sister." Buffy rushed out, chewing on her lower lip nervously anticipating her mother's reaction. Joyce let out a gasp and she felt tears come to her eyes. After all this time Joyce couldn't believe her little girl was standing in front of her, and that she was alive and healthy. Joyce went to Faith pulling the sobbing girl into her arms, her own sobs matching Faith's.

"Oh god, my baby, my baby is back," Joyce murmured, "I'm so sorry sweetie, I should of watched you better, but your here now and your safe, oh I love you so much, I will never let anything bad happen to you." Joyce stroked Faith's hair, kissing her head and both of her cheeks. Buffy didn't know what to do besides stare.

"Mom!" Dawn called running down the stairs, " I need to ask you..." But she stopped when she saw her mom holding Faith to her mumbling something she couldn't quite make out and crying, "Umm, mom? Buffy? What's going on?" 

" Dawnie, go upstairs please." Buffy told her younger sister.

" Yeah right," Dawn said rolling her eyes, and folding her arms across her chest, "Buffy, tell me what's going on." Joyce let go of Faith when she realized her youngest daughter was now standing in the kitchen extremely confused. She wiped some stray tears from her face before turning towards her ten-year-old daughter.

" Dawnie, I would like you to meet someone." Joyce said.

"Huh? Mom, hello I've already met Faith, geez did everyone in this house have there crazy flakes this morning?" Dawn asked completely confused by the strange behavior of her mother and older sister.

" Dawn, Faith is your sister." 

" What? No way." Dawn stated surveying her mom, Buffy and Faith.

" It's true Dawnie." Buffy said not knowing what else to tell her younger sister that would make her believe. Dawn squealed in delight rushing at Faith and throwing her arms around the older girl's waist. Faith chuckled at Dawn's excitement and then soon Buffy and Joyce soon joined in the hug their tears mixing with Faith's.

"Thank you, my family, they are all here, my little girls, oh god my babies." Joyce murmured, kissing each girl in turn but not breaking the hug.

*TBC*


	11. Summer's End

Disclaimer: See past chapters no one belongs to me. 

Author's note: This chapter takes place in the second season.

Chapter 11

It was the last night of a boring summer in Sunnydale and Faith, Buffy and Dawn had just arrived home after spending the summer with the father in LA. Buffy couldn't believe what a whirlwind the past 3 months had been for her and her family. The adjustment had been a major one not just for Buffy and Dawn but also for Faith. Joyce had wanted to spend every waking moment with her daughters, like she was afraid that missing one moment would mean she would lose them. All the quality mom time made it difficult for the girls to get much done in the way of slaying. Buffy normally had to sneak out of her window to go patrolling at night but now there was always a chance that her mom would come to check on them. Faith was having a hard time adjusting to the family thing and she stilled called both her mom and dad Hank and Joyce because she still wasn't comfortable with them and her sisters. She had made up with Dominick and was still living with him, until she got comfortable with her family. She would stay with her mom and sisters on the weekends, and had gone to stay with Hank in LA because she wanted to get to know her father and he was really cool but he tried to make up for everything by buying the girls stuff, he was still trying to make up for his and Joyce's divorce to Buffy and Dawn, and trying to make up the kidnapping to Faith. It was fine for them to go there during the summer since slayage was dramatically lower. Faith and Xander had began to date at the end of the school year much to Willow's chagrin because she still had a biggest crush on Xander but she was dealing. Buffy was still semi-seeing Angel, if you could count him showing up every couple of weeks with a new cryptic message and then vanishing again.

As soon as Faith and Buffy had gotten back to Sunnydale they had unpacked, listening to their parents argue about how badly their father had spoiled them, but as soon as the sun had dipped below the horizon, Faith and Buffy were crawling out of the bedroom window to go patrol. Willow and Xander had agreed to take over patrol with Dominick and Giles' help, while Buffy and Faith were in LA with their father. Since their friends didn't know Buffy and Faith were back in town, chances were that they were patrolling now. Both girls had missed their friends while they were with their father and hoped to run into them. Faith and Buffy were walking through Restfield Cemetery when they saw Willow and Xander on the other side of the cemetery walking towards them.

" Hey!" Buffy shouted to her friends. As soon as she shouted that to them a vampire popped up behind Willow and Xander. Buffy and Faith took off at a dead run and Buffy reached them first.

" Move!" She shouted. Xander and Willow jumped out of the way as a tiny blonde whirlwind rushed past them. At the last second Buffy jumped up, thrusting her feet out in front off her, planting both of them right in the center of the vampire's chest, feeling a few ribs crack with the impact. The vamp growled at her as he lost his balance. Buffy used those few moments to pull a stake from the waistband of her jeans, thrusting it into the vampire's chest. The vampire's eyes opened wide as he exploded into a cloud of dust. Buffy turned around to face her shocked friends, a satisfied grin on her face.

" Miss me?" She asked her grin spreading wider.

" Hey Buff." Willow replied returning Buffy's smile.

" Yeah, umm it was a good thing you were here." Xander said, his eyes roaming the cemetery looking for Faith, knowing she must be nearby if Buffy was here. Buffy now noticed that instead of carrying stakes and crosses, Willow and Xander were carrying ice cream cones.

" Yeah guess it was, cause you know ice cream not exactly the best defense." Buffy scolded them playfully, Willow's cheeks reddened a little and Xander just gave her a sheepish grin.

" But Buff, it's cold and tasty." Xander remarked.

" Yep, and 'sides that's the first vampire we've seen all summer." Willow told Buffy. Suddenly someone or something jumped out from behind a headstone and grabbed Xander around the waist. He jumped and spun around coming face to face with Faith, who was smirking and chuckling. Buffy and Willow also joined her in giggles.

" Don't do that!" Xander demanded.

" Oh come on X, the look on your face was priceless, wish I had a camera to capture that moment." Faith said wrapping her arms tighter around Xander's waist. Xander mock-glared at her but he was smiling. He pulled her tighter to him, placing his lips over hers. Buffy and Willow just looked at each other, rolling their eyes in unison.

" Get a room." Buffy said between mock-coughs causing Willow to giggle uncontrollably, and Faith and Xander to stop kissing, both turning to the giggling girls scowling at them.

" So not funny, B." Faith said shooting her sister a mock-glare but then she too caught the infectious giggling. Soon the four friends were giggling uncontrollably and gasping for air. "Okay, I'm gonna walk Xander home and then go to Dominick's let him know I got home safely. See ya two in the morning." Faith threaded her fingers through Xander's and began to pull him through the cemetery waving a little at Buffy and Willow. Buffy and Willow waved back and watched as they walked away.

" That is so weird and what do you think they are gonna go do now, not like I want to know because well eww." Willow babbled on to Buffy.

" What's weird? And thanks Will I really wanted to go to that scary visual place." Buff exclaimed in mock anger causing Willow to hang her head sheepishly.

" Xander and Faith, I just think its weird." Willow said softly shrugging her shoulders.

" Yeah I guess so." Buffy said without much conviction in her voice, she knew Willow was hurt over Xander's denial or rather blindness to how much Willow really liked him and she just agreed to try and comfort her friend.

" So Buff, how was your summer?" Willow asked quickly changing the subject.

" It was good, lots of quality dad time and lots of shopping. No evil undead beasties to slay, all in all it was pretty yawn worthy." Buffy said rolling her eyes.

" Well, didn't you see any of your old friends from Hemery?" Willow asked.

" Don't really have any left, most of them stopped hanging out with me when I got called they thought I was bizarro girl." Buffy mumbled shaking her head. Buffy really didn't like to think or talk about her supposed friends in LA, because it still hurt sometimes.

" So umm are you gonna see Angel tonight?" Willow asked noticing her friends discomfort.

" I don't know Will, I mean we were away from each other all summer what if he found someone new or..."Buffy said softly, her words trailing off biting her lip in thought.

" Buffy, come on who is he going to find in Sunnydale?" Willow asked and Buffy just gave her a pointed look, "Right another vampire since Sunnydale is full of them, but he's different, I'm not sure he would go after another vampire chick, I mean cause he is all soulful and well other vampires just aren't, and I think you should go see him cause I bet he spent all summer skulking around in the dark thinking about you." Buffy just shrugged half-heartedly and the two girls walked through the graveyard in silence. Willow wasn't lying about the lack of action, on any other night Buffy probably would of run into at least 3 or 4 more vamps before delivering Willow safely to her doorstep, but not tonight. After walking Willow home Buffy went to her own house, climbing up the tree outside of her window, then on to the porch roof and then in to her bedroom. When she turned around after shutting her window she came face to face with Angel and let out an extremely girlish squeal.

" ANGEL! What the hell are you doing?! Here? In my bedroom here?" Buffy exclaimed shoving Angel's chest playfully. Before Angel had a chance to answer there was a knock on Buffy's bedroom door.

" Buffy, honey, what's wrong? I heard screaming." Joyce asked through the bedroom door. Buffy thought quickly and shoved Angel into the closet, just in case her mom decided to come in the room.

" Oh, it was n-nothing mom, umm I just saw a spider, but I squished it." Buffy stammered nervously.

" Alright honey, its late try to get some sleep." Joyce said walking back to her own bedroom and Buffy sighed with relief, pulling Angel out of the closet.

" Spider?" Angel asked an amused smirk on his face, and Buffy just rolled her eyes.

" What just cause I'm the Slayer I can't have other fears. And don't try to change the subject mister, you still haven't told me what you were doing lurking in my bedroom." Buffy said in an impatient whisper, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot.

" I heard you were back in town and I wanted to see you." Angel said, glancing at the floor. Buffy's expression softened and she dropped her hands by her side. Angel didn't know what to do, he had been alive for 243 years and never before had he felt this way about a woman, and it was kind of scary.

" And you couldn't have just seen me tomorrow morning?" Buffy asked and Angel gave her a pointed stare, " Oh right cause of the vampire thing, but you know you just can't sneak in my window whenever you want, I mean seriously I think I'm going to get bars on my windows or- or something..."She was babbling again and she knew it, but she wasn't prepared for Angel to be in her bedroom. Angel put a finger over her lips, silencing her, as he brought his own lips closer to hers, brushing them softly with his.

" I missed you." He said pulling her flush against him, resting his head atop her's.

" I missed you too." Buffy said, pulling away from him so she could look at him, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. This time Buffy opened her mouth slightly and moaned as Angel's tongue probed hers, putting her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. Angel pulled Buffy closer to him as he felt his passion growing, he wanted her so badly and he didn't know if he would be able to stop himself from taking her this time. Buffy felt tingles running up and down her spine as the kissing between her and Angel grew deeper and became more passionate, she knew she really needed to pull away from him before their make out session went farther than either one of them intended it to.

" Angel, we have to stop meeting like this." Buffy murmured softly, stopping their kissing but still resting comfortably in Angel's arms.

" Huh?" Angel asked confused by what exactly Buffy was saying, sometimes she could be the most confusing person.

" I mean you show up or I show up and we make with the smoochies and then you do the whole cryptic creature of the night deal and disappear for a while, all I'm saying is we should do normal couple things." Buffy said.

" Yeah but we will never be a normal couple." Angel said softly causing Buffy to pull herself away from him.

" Right, cause you will always be a vampire but can't vampires do normal things like say go to the movies, or out for coffee or even to the Bronze." 

" Are you saying you want to go out on a date?" Angel asked.

" What? No, I never said date, who said date?" Buffy asked flustered and Angel chuckled.

" So what you wanna go out for coffee and then what? I mean I'm 243 and you are 16 do you really think a relationship would work between us?" Angel asked he didn't want to upset her but he wanted to think logically about this.

" You know what Angel, just forget it okay? You think I'm just some swoony little schoolgirl with a crush, I get it but you know what its a little bit late to be reading me the warning label." Buffy said angrily turning away from Angel picking up her stuffed pig Mr. Gordo up and playing with his ears absent-mindedly.

" Buffy," Angel said reaching out his hand to place it on her shoulder, but he just let it drop. "Don't do this."  
"What Angel, don't do what? You care to explain that to me, no you know what I don't wanna know, just go away." She said softly a harsh edge to her voice. Angel just nodded slowly and climbed out of her window glancing at her one last time but she had her back to him. Buffy listened to Angel go and then went to her dresser pulling on her pajamas and sliding under the covers. Her head was still spinning from Angel's kissing and the passion she felt between them. She didn't understand why Angel was so confusing, when they were kissing she felt closer to him than she had with anyone ever before, but then it stopped and he became so distant. She just wanted him to open up to her, just to let her, let her get close. She felt a tear slip down her cheek because it was so horrible for her to feel so close to someone and not have them feel the same way back. She brushed the tears off of her face and rolled over closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.


	12. Little Sisters' Suck

Disclaimer: See the previous chapters, but basically I don't own anyone or anything.

Chapter 12

Dawn was lying in her bed, she was supposed to be sleeping because she had school tomorrow morning but she couldn't fall asleep. She had heard her sister sneaking out of her window every night for the past week, not to mention she had heard her sister talking to her stupid boyfriend Angel in her bedroom. She knew her mom would totally freak out if she found out Buffy was sneaking out of the house again or if she knew that Angel was in Buffy's bedroom. That was why Dawn was lying in her bed fully clothed waiting to hear Buffy's window opening. She wasn't really looking to get Buffy into trouble but she wanted to know what Buffy did at night not to mention Buffy sneaking out of the house was never of the good. The last time Buffy started sneaking out she was getting into fights and then she burnt down the school gym and then got expelled. It seemed like every single time she came home after sneaking out she had a different cut or bruise. Dawn personally believed that Buffy was in some type of gang, and tonight she decided to find out the truth about what Buffy did every single night that she couldn't tell her mom or family about. 

Dawn had begun to drift off when she heard the window in Buffy's bedroom slide open. Dawn jumped out of her bed and went to the window staying in the shadows so Buffy wouldn't see her. She caught sight of her older sister climbing across the porch's roof and then shimmying down the tree outside of her window. Dawn waited until she saw Buffy hit the ground before climbing out of her own window and down to the ground. As soon as she reached the ground she ran to the sidewalk seeing that Buffy was maybe 4 or 5 feet in front of her, and started following her. Dawn was trying her hardest to be stealthy, praying her sister wouldn't notice that someone was following her. She had absolutely no idea where Buffy was going, but she did notice that her sister had something clutched in her hand and was pretty sure it was a weapon.

Suddenly Dawn felt someone roughly grab her from behind, she half expected it to be either Willow or Xander since they never seemed to be to far away from Buffy, so she slowly turned her head around to see who had attacked her. Whatever it was that had attacked her it wasn't human, its brow was wrinkly and overhanging, its eyes glowing yellow and its teeth were sharp and pointed. Dawn felt fear grip her body and she didn't know what else to do but scream. She screamed as loud as she could and began to wriggle and kick hoping the thing would release its grip on her. Instead it pushed her to the ground and got on top of her, pinning her arms and legs to the sidewalk.

Buffy heard a loud shriek pierce the air around her and she spun around quickly, her heart beginning to beat faster as adrenaline began to rush through her body preparing for a fight. She saw a girl who couldn't be much older than Dawn being pinned down by a large male vampire.

"Hey!" Buffy shouted at it, "Why don't you go pick on someone my own size." Dawn saw the thing turn to face Buffy and get up off of her.

"Slayer," He growled, " You dare to interrupt my dinner."

"Well yeah duh." Buffy quipped and Dawn watched in horror as the thing rushed at her sister, but Buffy quickly deflected him by sidestepping him as he ran and grabbing him by his collar flinging him into a tree about 3 or 4 feet in front of her. Dawn watched in awe as her tiny older sister easily blocked the thing's punches and as she executed perfect kicks and punches. Dawn heard a nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her to get up and run home before Buffy caught her, but her legs felt leaden like she was glued to the ground watching her sister fight this thing, silently praying that Buffy wouldn't get hurt, because even though they fought a lot Dawn loved her older sister. In the end Buffy managed to get the vampire on the ground, ramming her stake into his chest and stepping back satisfied as he turned into a pile of dust. She rubbed her nose a little as the dust was picked up in the wind and blew in her face and turned around to see if the girl she had saved was gone. She was surprised when she saw the girl sitting on the ground and Buffy began to go over to her.

"Hey, you want me to walk you....DAWN!! What the hell are you doing?!" Buffy shouted at her younger sister, Dawn cringed when she heard the angry tone in her older sister's voice, and then yelped in pain and surprise when Buffy grabbed her arm tightly, roughly yanking her to her feet.

"Oww Buffy, let go of me!" Dawn whined, wiggling and trying to pull her arm out of her sister's grasp but Buffy just gripped tighter, setting her hazel eyes on Dawn's blue ones, anger flickering deep within them and Dawn gulped nervously.

"You want to tell me what you think you are doing walking around alone at night?" Buffy asked. _Great, Dawn thought, here comes the lecture its bad enough I get them from mom, but then Buffy has to decide to be all high and mighty and lecture me too._

" I'm not telling you anything until you let go of me." Dawn grumbled trying to buy time to come up with an excuse, as Buffy sighed letting go of Dawn's arm, "Thanks, now what was that thing? Why did he turn into dust?" 

"No way are you getting out of this Dawn, I want to hear what you were doing now." Buffy demanded crossing her arms over her chest and Dawn did the same both girls glaring at each other.

"Fine, I'll tell you and then I'll just go tell mom how you are sneaking out again. Also, I'll tell her that you had Angel in your room the other night and how you turned a guy into dust." Dawn said smirking at her older sister knowingly.

"You were spying on me you little freak!" Buffy exclaimed.

"No, I wasn't, I could hear you two talking through the wall and I'm pretty sure I heard some moaning." Dawn said trying not to laugh when she saw how red her older sister's face turned at the thought of what Dawn just said. Buffy sighed defeated.

"Fine, what do you wanna know?" Buffy asked.

"Everything. What that thing was? Why he turned to dust? How you made him turn to dust and what you are? I mean are you even human or like some kind of mutant like on X-men?" Dawn asked, and Buffy rolled her eyes at Dawn's last comment.

"Of course I'm human..." Buffy began but Dawn interrupted.

"But you're like super-human right, like Superwoman or Spiderman, because no human could throw a guy that big into a tree four feet away. So did you like get bit by a radioactive spider? Or wait your adopted and you're really from another planet like Superman."

"Dawn shut up and listen or I'm not gonna tell you anything. And no to the spider bite thing and the adoption thing, those are cartoon characters Dawn. The thing that attacked you was a vampire." Buffy stated twisting a lock of hair around her fingers nervously trying to find the words to explain to Dawn about herself.

"Whoa vampires are real?" Dawn asked.

"Yep, and I'm the one girl in all the world chosen to fight them, well actually I'm one of the two girls chosen to fight them, I'm the Slayer, Dawnie, the Vampire Slayer." Buffy rushed out and Dawn just stared at her eyes widened in shock.

"So your job is like to kill vampires?" Dawn asked, and Buffy nodded, "Wow that is so cool, I can't wait to tell the kids at school that my big sister is like a superhero."

"Dawn, its not cool, its dangerous and scary, and you can't tell anyone technically you shouldn't even know." Buffy said exasperated. 

"Can I tell them about the vampires?" Dawn asked.

"No, they wouldn't believe you." Buffy said sadly, remembering the two weeks she spent in a mental health clinic in LA after she told her parents who she was, and they thought she was crazy.

"That's why you went to the hospital huh Buffy? You tried to tell mom and dad and they didn't believe you?" Dawn asked and Buffy nodded slowly, " I won't tell anyone Buffy, I swear not even mom or Xander or Willow or Faith."

"They already know Dawnie, Xander and Will know they help me out sometimes, and Faith she is the other slayer." Buffy said not really wanting to let Dawn in on anything more.

" Wow, both my sisters are superheroes. Does anyone else know?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, Giles and Dominick but that's it." Buffy said.

"The librarian Giles and Dominick Faith's "uncle" how do they know?" Dawn asked, she knew Buffy was starting to get annoyed by her questions but she just wanted to know everything about her sisters' nighttime activities.

"Didn't you ever think it was a little weird that I was spending all that time in the library and how Faith even after she found out that we were her family decided to stay with Dominick?" Buffy asked and Dawn nodded, " Well that's cause Dominick and Giles are our watchers, which is just guys who watch over the slayers, they train us, help us out in battle and also research exactly what it is we are going to fight so we can fight it."

"So all these people help you out, Willow, Xander, Dominick, and Giles, well I wanna help to." Dawn told her sister.

"What? No, you aren't helping, I didn't even want you to know, its too dangerous for you Dawnie, I was chosen to do this you weren't you need to have a normal childhood." Buffy told her sister.

"Buffy you never let me do anything I'm not a baby anymore! You can't protect me forever!" Dawn shouted at her older sister, turning and running towards there house, Buffy began to chase after her but gave up as she too began to walk towards her home. Buffy didn't quite get why everyone wanted to help, it was so dangerous what her and Faith did but yet none of their friends ever left their sides and now Dawn wouldn't either, she would try to find a way to help but Buffy wouldn't let her. Her sister had only just turned eleven and to Buffy she was still a child she needed to do childish things, not fight vampires or other assorted forces of darkness. Buffy crawled into the window of her house, and changed into her pajamas and then crept down the hall into Dawn's bedroom.

"Dawn?" She whispered softly, but her only answer was the sound of deep breathing. Buffy walked over next to her sister's bed and saw that she was sleeping, lying on her back one hand thrown up on her pillow. Buffy smiled slightly at the sight of her younger sister's undisturbed sleep and reached out a hand brushing a few stray strands of hair off of Dawn's forehead. She didn't care what Dawn said or what she wanted Buffy would keep her away from all of the bad stuff in the world as long as she could, it was her job not only as the Slayer but as a big sister to protect Dawn from things that wanted to hurt her, just as it was her job to protect Willow and Xander. Dawn may hate her for it but it was what she had to do. She bent down placing a soft kiss on Dawn's forehead before tiptoeing out of the room and shutting the door softly behind her.


	13. Happy Birthday Faith and Buffy

Disclaimer: See previous chapter. 

Chapter 13

Buffy woke from sleep with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, drenched in cold sweat, but she still refused to open her eyes, hoping she would soon drift back to sleep. _Stupid slayer prophetic dreams_, Buffy mumbled rolling over burying her head farther in the pillow. She tried her hardest to fall back asleep but this dream had really shaken her up, mostly cause it was about Angel. In the dream, Angel's insane vampire-childe Drusilla had staked him while Buffy had been held down by a crew of vampire's and forced to watch as Drusilla killed him, able to do nothing but cry and scream his name as he crumbled to a pile of dust. She wanted to believe that the dreams were nothing more than nightmares since a little over a month ago Buffy and Faith had set fire to a church after Spike and Drusilla had tried to do a ritual using Angel's blood to make Drusilla stronger, and now both vampires were presumed dead by the Scooby gang, but yet Buffy knew in her line of work she rarely had just nightmares that didn't mean anything. She knew she would have to tell Giles about this dream and also talk to Faith, since they were both slayers they tended to either share dreams or have the same prophetic dreams. After much tossing and turning Buffy realized that the sun was now up and sleeping was futile but before she opened her eyes she had a weird feeling come over her that someone or something was in her bedroom watching her. Buffy stopped tossing and turning for a second, holding her breath, hoping she would be able to catch a movement or something that would tell her who was in her room. She felt a stream of hot air on her cheek and she knew it couldn't be Angel or any other vampire since they really weren't big on the whole breathing thing, or the tanning thing and well sunlight. Buffy opened her eyes slowly, raising her hand ready to strike at whatever or whoever was standing above her, her eyes shot open and she saw two blue eyes staring into her own and Buffy's eyes widened.

"Wow, you should've seen your eyes bug out, it was so funny." Dawn said giggling.

"So extremely not funny Dawn," Buffy said dryly, pushing Dawn away from her, "What do you want?"

"To see your eyes bug out like that, and I wanted to say happy birthday." Dawn said.

"Thanks Dawnie, now get out so I can get dressed." Buffy said swinging her feet down from the bed and going to her closet as Dawn walked out of the room. Buffy looked at her clothes and finally settled on a purple shirt, a short khaki skirt and a pair of knee high boots, going into the bathroom and brushing her teeth and hair, before going downstairs to eat breakfast with her mother and sister. She sat down at the breakfast bar, placing her bag on the chair next to her as her mom placed a plate with eggs and toast on it.

" Hey sweetie, happy birthday? Does 17 feel any different than 16?" Joyce asked placing a kiss on the top of her daughter's head.

" It's funny you should ask that, you know I woke up feeling more responsible, mature and levelheaded. Hey, I now posses the qualities that one looks for in a licensed driver." Buffy said baiting her mother hoping that this year her mom would finally allow her to take the driving test, and Dawn snorted with laughter nearly choking on her orange juice, and Buffy elbowed her sister in the side trying to be as gentle as possible.

" Buffy." Joyce said in a warning tone.

" Come on Mom you promised we would talk about this when I turned seventeen." Buffy whined sounding much younger than she really was.

" And we will Buffy, but you haven't even been seventeen for a whole hour yet." Joyce told her oldest daughter.

" MOM, you can't be serious, do you remember what happened when you tried to teach her to drive, I'm pretty sure even the jeep is traumatized." Dawn said trying to control her laughter as Buffy glared at her.

" So Buffy are we still on for the big shopping trip this weekend?" Joyce asked hoping to curb the fight she knew was now inevitable.

" Well duh, I mean when else do I get to spend your money. Oh Will and Xander said they'd watch Dawn while we go out." Buffy said.

" Oh puh-leeze Mom, I don't need a sitter, I'm not a little kid anymore." Dawn whined.

"Yes you do." Buffy and Joyce said in unison. Dawn rolled her eyes at her sister and mother and stomped out of the kitchen.

" Come on, sweetie, I'll drive you to school." Joyce said to Buffy.

" That's alright mom, I'll walk, its a nice day." Buffy said pulling her book bag off of the chair and kissing her mom's cheek before leaving the house. She hadn't wanted her mom to drive her to school, because the dream was still on her mind, and she wanted to stop by Angel's and make sure he wasn't a pile of dust. She really hoped that the dream wasn't a prophetic one because she loved Angel and didn't want to lose him. 

She reached Angel's house and knocked on the door, when he didn't answer right away, she just burst in. Unfortunately Angel was walking to the door, and a ray of light hit him, he growled covering his face with his arm.

"Oh god Angel I'm so so sorry." Buffy said, shutting the door behind him and running to him, taking his face in her hands seeing how badly he was burned.

" Buffy, its okay, I'm fine." Angel said chucking softly at the concerned expression on her face, " Is everything okay?" He took her small hands in his own.

"That's what I was going to ask you, your okay right?" Buffy asked.

" Sure I-I'm fine. What's up?" Angel asked her curious as to her strange behavior.

" Umm, I-I had this dream...that- that Drusilla was still alive."

" What happened?" Angel asked concerned.

" She killed you. Right in front of me." Buffy said.

" Buffy it was just a dream." Angel reminded her.

" But it-it felt so real." Buffy murmured, and Angel put a hand on her cheek.

" It wasn't Buffy, I'm right here." Angel reassured her.

"Angel, th-this has happened before, these dreams I have come true." Buffy said nervously.

" Not every dream you have comes true." Angel told her.

" But what if..what if Drusilla is still alive, we never saw her body." Buffy said.

"She's not, but even if she was we'd deal." Angel said.

" What if she..." Buffy began but was cut off when Angel kissed her, she arched into his kiss wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her as he kissed her deeper, a flush creeping up Buffy's cheeks. Suddenly Angel pulled away from their kiss, leaving Buffy wanting more.

"What if what?" Angel asked as Buffy struggled to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, were we talking?" She asked and Angel leaned down to kiss her again after a little while Buffy broke off from the kiss, looking down.

" I'm sorry, umm I have to go to school." Buffy said chewing on her lower lip, as she turned and headed towards the door. But Angel followed her, grabbing her arm and turning around kissing her again. They kissed again as passionately as before, Buffy pressed up against the wall, and then she pulled away to catch her breath, but their foreheads continued to touch.

" You have to go to school." Angel said.

" Right this is me going." Buffy said but kissed him again and he pulled away.

" You still haven't told me what you want for your birthday." Angel said smiling.

" Surprise me." Buffy told him, kissing him again softly this time, " This is nice, I like seeing you first thing in the morning." 

" It's bedtime for me." Angel told her.

" Well then I like seeing you at bedtime, um- umm you know what I mean." Buffy said nervously realizing what she had just insinuated, but Angel just gave her a reassuring smile.

" I think I do. What do you mean?" Angel asked.

" I like seeing you, the part at the end of the night where we say goodbye, it's getting harder." Buffy told him honestly.

" Yeah it is." Angel said, " Umm you really should go to school." Buffy nodded than leaving the mansion.

As Buffy left Angel's house a little bit of her worry had been alleviated because she now new that Angel was still alive or undead or whatever and now he would at least be on the lookout for Spike and Drusilla. Now that her worry had faded, her thoughts had turned more to the lust and passion she felt when she was with or even near Angel. Buffy wanted to be with Angel but she wasn't even completely sure he really wanted to be with her, every time it felt like their relationship was going somewhere either Angel or she pulled away, and it was frustrating and she wanted to know where they stood even if it meant giving in to her passion, and just pray that Angel felt the same way. Buffy looked at her watch, she saw that she was going to be at least a half an hour late for school which meant she would have to miss her first class, which she really couldn't afford to miss since she was already failing that class due to her frequent absences because of her late patrols. Buffy reached the high school and went straight to the library, she figured if she had to miss her class she could fill Giles' in on last night's patrol and her weird dreams. She pushed open the door and was greeted by the sight of Giles sitting at a table in the library, completely lost in the book he was reading, so much so he didn't even look up when she walked in.

" Hey Giles." Buffy said, and began laughing when he jumped completely flustered and Giles glared at her.

" Buffy, it's extremely rude to sneak up on someone." Giles said sternly and Buffy began to laugh harder at his attempt at being stern, and flopped down in the chair across from him.

" I'm sorry Giles but you should have seen the expression on your face." Buffy said between her laughter.

" Yes, I'm sure it was very humorous, oh and happy birthday, but why aren't you in class?" Giles asked, and Buffy stopped laughing, muttering a thank you and then silence descended on the table. Giles now noticed how completely exhausted Buffy looked, she had dark circles around her eyes, and it was extremely obvious that something was bothering her. " Buffy, is something wrong?" 

" No, nothing's wrong," Buffy said unconvincingly and Giles arched an eyebrow at her, " Okay, well its these dreams I've been having, well I guess its more like the same dream, in it Drusilla is alive and," her voice grew softer at this point, "and she kills Angel, either before I can reach them or I'm held down and forced to watch her kill him. What do they mean Giles? Do you think that Drusilla is still alive?"

" Buffy, I honestly don't know, but I don't believe anyone either vampire or human could have survived that fire. It is also possible that these dreams were just regular run-of the mill nightmares and not portents." Giles told Buffy trying to reassure her the best way he knew how.

" I know, I already thought about that but its just you know they involve Angel that equals major wiggins." Buffy said trying to push some of the worry and fear that had settled on her ever since she had woken up that morning.

" Well it seems the best course of action now would be to be more on the alert while you are patrolling and to hit the places Spike and Drusilla hung out in when they were in Sunnydale." Giles said, and Buffy rolled her eyes knowing when something big was going to happen his answering was always for her to patrol more, she was about to grumble about the extra patrol but stopped when the door to the library swung open.

" Hey it's the woman of the hour." Xander exclaimed as he came into the library giving Buffy his trademark goofy grin, and Buffy was about to reply when Willow bound into the library skittering to a stop behind Xander.

" Happy birthday Buffy." She sang out placing her hands on Buffy's shoulders, and Buffy gave her a genuine smile, but Willow could tell even through Buffy's smile that something was seriously bothering her, her worry was evident in her eyes, " Not happy birthday Buffy?"

" Sorry, Will," Buffy said wondering how Willow always could read her so well, "I umm gotta go find Faith, I'll talk to you later." Buffy jumped up out of the chair and rushed from the library, leaving Xander and Willow completely bewildered by Buffy's behavior.

"Okay, G-man what's the what?" Xander asked hopping up on the library counter.

" First Xander, I've asked you repeatedly not to call me that, and secondly Buffy has been having dreams and they kind of have her as you kids would say "wigging." Giles explained and both of them had to fight back their laughter at hearing the extremely British tweed-clad man using their slang.

" Slayer dreams?" Willow asked choking on her laughter.

" Well were not exactly sure but there is a possibility that they could be just nightmares."

" So what exactly happens in these dreams?" Xander asked.

" Drusilla kills Angel and Buffy is powerless to stop it." Giles told them.

" Oh well can't say dead boy didn't have it coming." Xander mumbled but Willow heard him and smacked in the back of the head.

" Guess that means no party?" Willow said more than a little disappointed, " I've already bought little hats and the cake and everything."

" We are not canceling the party, Buffy and Faith bloody well will have a party, they need to relax and there will never be a good time to do that on the hellmouth." Giles told them determined to give Buffy at least one night of semi-normalcy.

" Looks like caution man, but the sound he makes is funny." Xander said.

" But Buffy and Angel.." Willow said ignoring Xander's attempt at humor.

" May very well be in danger. As they have been before and I imagine will be again. As I have learned living on the hellmouth there is no good time to relax." Giles told them and they nodded in agreement.

" Besides Will, Angel will be there, unfortunately." Xander said saying the last part under his breath.

" Right, so Buffy can protect Angel and still have cake." Willow said excited about that night.

" Precisely, now don't you two have a class to get too?" Giles asked the two teens.

" We're gone, see you later Giles." Willow said waving bye to Giles and leaving the library, dragging Xander with her.

A/N: Some of the lines may have been taken from the episode Surprise/Innocence. But I own neither.


	14. The Pary

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: See previous chapters. Thanks to all my reviewers, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Buffy didn't realize until after school just how exhausted she was from the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before and even the past two nights. Buffy barely made it to her bedroom before the exhaustion set in and she collapsed on the bed falling into a deep sleep. She felt like she had only been sleeping for five minutes when the dream started again and Buffy woke up covered in a cold sweat, her heart pounding fiercely, feeling as if it was about to bust out of her chest. She sat in bed trying to get control over the dread and emotions she was feeling. She didn't understand why she kept having this dream; she had talked to Faith that day and Faith had told her she hadn't had the dreams so it meant they were nightmares. Buffy got out of bed, realizing that she had about twenty minutes before sunset and she jumped out of bed changing her clothes and running a brush through her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. She grabbed a stake out of her drawer and stuck it into the waistband of her jeans, grabbing a light weight jacket out of her closet and throwing it on and then leaving the house going to meet Faith so they could go to the school and find out where Dominick and Giles wanted them to patrol.

" Hey B, you look like shit." Faith said hopping off of the car she had perched on when Buffy walked up to her.

" Shut it, F, before I make you." Buffy said in a dry humorless voice.

" Well I just call 'em like I see 'em." Faith told Buffy shrugging. Faith could feel the uneasiness and worry radiating off of her sister, which she figured must of had something to do with the two of them being twins not mention slayers. She knew most of her sister's worry had to do with the frequent dreams Buffy had been having, and Faith wish she could make her sister feel better. Faith reached out and threw an arm around her sister, squeezing her shoulders slightly, " Don't sweat it B, we killed that bitch."

" Yeah, but we never proved it Faith, how can you be so sure?" Buffy asked.

" Fine, B, we'll find her, we'll slay and then we'll par-tay." Faith said pulling her arm off of Buffy shoulders and doing a few dance moves causing Buffy to laugh.

" That's so extremely optimistic of you." Buffy said still laughing, and she picked up on some of her sister's enthusiasm. The girls walked to the school, chatting lightly about both Xander and Angel, and Buffy felt a little less strained. When they got to the school they were surprised that they weren't met by Giles and Dominick in the library, but instead by Miss Calendar, the school's computer science teacher and the woman who Giles was dating. She too was an unofficial member of the Scooby gang, as she knew that both Buffy and Faith were the slayers.

" Hey Ms. C, where are Dom and the G-Man?" Faith asked arching one eyebrow in question.

" Umm, I'm not quite sure but they gave me an address and I'm supposed to take you there to meet them." Jenny told the girls. Buffy looked at Faith raising an eyebrow in question, and Faith just shrugged as they followed Jenny out of the library and to her car. They drove for a little while and Buffy soon realized that the streets they were following looked extremely familiar, almost like the path that they took to the Bronze.

" Are we going to the Bronze?" Buffy asked Jenny curiously.

" I'm not sure, they gave me an address, I'm following their directions" Jenny said shrugging. All of sudden Buffy's slayer senses kicked in and her senses became heightened, and she looked over at Faith, and knew she too must have felt it because Faith was know visibly tense. They began to glance around nervously and their eyes finally rested on the alley in front of them, where they saw a group of highly suspicious looking people, possibly vampires searching for something in the back of a truck.

"This looks funky, stop for a sec." Buffy told her, and Jenny finally realized why their demeanor had changed. She quickly pressed on the brakes as the girls opened the car doors.

" You, know girls, maybe you shouldn't." Jenny said nervously, afraid of what Giles and Dominick would do if something happened to the girls 

" We don't have a choice, chosen two, sacred duty, yada, yada, yada, you know the story." Buffy said giving Jenny a wry smile trying to reassure her that her and Faith would be able to handle their own. 

" Come on B!" Faith shouted and Buffy turned and ran following Faith to the truck, sneaking up on the vampires, a quick look told them that there were at least six of them.

" Every time I see you you're stealing something you should really talk to someone about this klepto issue." Buffy quipped, recognizing on pf the vampires that had helped Drusilla and Spike before Buffy killed them. The vampire turned and growled which got the rest of the vampires attention and they rushed the two girls. 

*********************************

" Where are they?" Angel asked for the fifth time in five minutes and everyone shushed him, listening for Buffy and Faith to approach

" Do you hear that?" Willow asked Giles curiously when the sounds of a scuffle presented itself from the alley outside The Bronze. Giles and Dominick had rented The Bronze out for the night for Buffy and Faith's surprise party, and all of their friends were there, Angel, Giles, Dominick, Willow, Xander, Willow's date, Oz and Cordelia, the queen of mean who wasn't really their friend but Buffy and Faith had saved her life a few times so she kind of became part of the Scooby gang even helping research sometimes, but she still was mean to them, and acted as if she was forced to hang out with them and to everyone's surprise she had agreed to come to the party. Everyone was now scattered throughout The Bronze hiding and waiting for Faith and Buffy to come in so they could all jump out and scream "Surprise".

" Yes, Willow, it sounds like someone fighting." Giles told her, as everyone came out of their hiding spots, as curiosity got the best of them. Just then Buffy and a vampire came crashing in still in the throes of their fight, and Faith jumped in the broken window, pulling the vampire off of Buffy, staking him as he crumbled into a pile of dust. Buffy coughed sharply as the vampiric dust fell on her and she inhaled it, Buffy pushed herself up turning to face her friends, just as Cordelia jumped up shouting " Surprise!".

" Yeah that about says it all." Xander said turning to face Cordelia rolling his eyes, and Cordelia very immaturely stuck out her tongue at Xander. 

" Are you okay?" Willow asked Oz seeing the bewildered expression on his face.

" Yeah but did that guy just turn to dust?" Oz asked bewildered unable to take his eyes off of the dust that had settled on the floor where the vampire had once stood.

" Yeah, lots of vampires live in Sunnydale, Willow will fill in the blanks." Xander said nonchalantly as he felt two arms wrap around his waist, squeezing softly, "Hey baby, nice ass-kicking back there." He said leaning down and kissing Faith softly.

" Just another night on the job." Faith said shrugging as she kissed him again. While this was going on Buffy had walked over to Angel and Giles.

" Are you okay?" Angel asked Buffy.

" Yes what happened?" Giles asked.

" Umm see there were these vamps," Buffy began but stopped when she noticed the decorations all around the Bronze, " What's going on?"  
" A surprise party." Giles said.

" You guys did all of this for us, that is so sweet." Buffy said ignoring Giles, only paying attention to Angel.

" A little help here." Jenny called from the doorway carrying a very big box and Giles and Angel took it from her, " Those creeps left it outside."

" Hmm, a present for me?" Buffy asked looking at Jenny questioningly who just shrugged.

" I think you mean us B." Faith said, smirking.

" What is it?" Buffy asked.

" I don't know. Can it be opened?" Dominick asked.

" There is a release right here." Buffy said. The rest of the gang had gathered around to see what was in the box. Buffy opened the box slowly, afraid that something was going to jump out at her, and found an arm clad in armor nestled in the box.

" Okay what the hell is that?" Faith asked, just then the arm jumped out of the box wrapping around Buffy's throat and squeezing her windpipe. Buffy struggled to breathe as Angel and Faith were trying to pry it away from her throat. They managed to pull it off and got it into the box slamming the lid down forcefully, and Buffy began to cough.

" And that would be the Hellmouth's answer to "what do you get the slayers who have everything." Xander said trying to lighten the mood.

" B, you alright?" Faith asked her sister.

" Yeah, that thing had major grip though." Buffy said coughing.

" Yeah what the hell was that? A killer arm?" Faith asked.

" It can't be. She wouldn't." Angel murmured and everyone looked at him curiously.

" What is that like the vamp's version of snake in a can?" Xander asked.

" Angel what is it?" Buffy asked him.

" Its a legend...of a demon sent to rid the world of the plague of humanity... separate the righteous from the wicked and burn the righteous down. They call him the Judge." Angel explained.

" And this is the Judge?" Dominick asked raising one eyebrow skeptically.

" Not all of him." Angel said.

" Umm hello still needing back-story." Buffy said.

" Yeah and I'm really not loving the burning thing." Faith remarked.

" Um...he-he couldn't be killed, so they sent an army against him. He- he was dismembered and his body parts were scattered at every end of the earth." Giles explained.

" So all the pieces are being brought here." Faith summarized.

" By Drusilla," Buffy said and everyone wondered how she had made that conclusion, " The vamps outside were Spike's men, I've seen them before." 

" She is crazy enough to do it." Angel said.

" What? Reassemble the Judge?" Willow asked nervously.

" Yes, and bring about Armageddon." Angel said.

" And anyone not wanting that to happen, raise your hands." Xander said.

" We have to get this out of town." Giles said.

" Angel, you have to do it, your the only one who can protect this thing/" Jenny said bluntly, as everyone turned towards her gaping at her like she had suddenly grown two heads. She knew that send Angel away would tear Buffy up, almost as if she had lost him for good but it had to be done and someone had to speak up.

" What?" Buffy said when she finally found her voice after Jenny's off the wall statement, " Why Angel? Faith and me are the slayers, we'll handle it." Buffy demanded and Faith nodded.

" And what? You just skip town and school for months?" Jenny asked, hoping the girls would now understand why it had to be Angel, without her having to go into anymore detail.

" Months?" Buffy asked softly, her eyes rapidly filling with tears, and Angel squeezed Buffy's hand again.

" She's right, Buffy," Angel told her gently, " I have to do this, and I'm the only one who can do this." At his last statement Buffy spun around to face him, her eyes glistening with tears.

" But months? You know there are these newfangled inventions called airplanes, they can get you where you want to go in only days, weeks tops." Buffy said, sadness and fear evident in her voice. Angel leaned down kissing Buffy's forehead and then took her into his arms.

" Buffy you know I can't fly. There isn't any any complete way to guard against the sunlight." Angel said.

" When?" Buffy managed to choke out before the tears she was holding back overwhelmed her.

" Tonight." Angel said simply and 

" But it's my birthday." Buffy said softly

" I'll drive you to the docks." Jenny said softly pulling her keys from her purse, and walking towards the door, Buffy and Angel followed her hand in hand.

As Jenny drove them to the docks she watched Angel and Buffy in the backseat of the car, arms wrapped around one another, silent tears falling down Buffy's cheeks, as Angel gently stroked her hair and rocked her ever so slightly, and Jenny couldn't help but feel guilty that she had been the one who instigated Angel's departure. But it wasn't her choice, she had been sent to Sunnydale not as Jenny Calendar, but as Yanna of the Kalderash gypsy clan. She had picked up the name Jenny Calendar in the states, her people were the ones who had originally cursed Angel with his soul. She had been sent to Sunnydale two years ago to watch Angel and make sure that the curse still held and that Angel still suffered for the deeds he had done as Angelus. She hadn't expected to become friends with the Slayer or to fall for Buffy's watcher, and Buffy falling for Angel was even more unexpected. And falling for Giles had just made her job in Sunnydale harder, especially when her Uncle Enyos had flown into town unexpectedly to tell her that Angel's suffering was lessening now, and that meant she had to get him out of Sunnydale or have the whole clan come against her.

They pulled up in front of the docks and both Buffy and Angel got out of the car. Buffy walked up the docks slowly, wiping the tears from her face as they fell. Her mind was numb, still not fully comprehending what was going on. She was totally in love with Angel and she hadn't even got a chance to tell him yet, and now he was going away, possibly for months and she didn't know how she would go on without him. She could feel Angel behind her and she couldn't help but wonder if he was taking leaving her as hard as she was taking his inevitable departure.

Angel watched as Buffy walked up the docks to the ship that he would be taking out of town, her shoulders were slumped, and he knew she was crying. He remembered now why he had stayed away from people for so long, besides the bloodlust he hadn't want to hurt anyone when they realized his true nature. But that had all changed when he had first seen Buffy on the day she had first been called as the Slayer. He remembered how vulnerable and childlike she had looked on that day, and at that second he had vowed to always protect and keep her safe, if only from a distance. But never in his wildest dreams had he expected to fall in love with her, but he had, no matter how hard he fought it, it still happened. 

When they reached the ship, Buffy came to a stop and turned to look at Angel, tears glistening on her cheeks and her eyes in the soft ship light and Angel felt his heart breaking at Buffy's pain. He hated to see her cry, he wanted to just pull her in his arms, tell her it would all be okay, that he would stay, anything to get her to stop crying, Buffy's tears always got to him like that. But those were lies, pretty lies to make the one he loved fell better, but if anything he needed to be honest with her and himself, it would be hard, but he knew she deserved honesty. He placed the box on the ground in front of him and pulled her into his arms, not saying anything, just holding her. He could feel her shoulders shaking as she sobbed, her tears soaking the front of his shirt burning him when they touched his skin, he kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. Buffy couldn't explain it but she felt safer in Angel's arms, a safeness she had never felt before, but then when he pulled away that safeness fled and all she felt was the turmoil of her emotions. 

" Buffy, I should go the rest of the way alone." Angel said.

" Okay." Buffy said like an automaton.

" I'll be back though, I will." Angel told her, putting his hand on her chin and forcing her to look at him.

" When? Six months, a year. You don't even know how long it will or if we'll even.." Buffy said her voice cracking with emotion again.

" If we'll even what?" Angel asked gently.

" Well in case you haven't noticed someone pretty much always wants us dead." Buffy said tears filling her eyes once again.

" Don't say that. We'll be fine." Angel tried to reassure her.

" We don't know that." Buffy told him looking at her feet.

" We can't know Buffy. Nobody can. That's just the deal. I want to give you something." Angel said, digging in his pocket and pulling something out and fiddling with it in his hands nervously, " I was going to give this to you at the party, but that doesn't seem like its going to happen now, so..." He said trailing off holding out a small silver ring for Buffy to see. It was a beautiful ring with a heart in the center, two hands on either side of the heart and a crown above the heart.

" God Angel, it's beautiful." Buffy said breathlessly the emotions running through her stealing her voice away from her. 

"My people -- before I was changed -- they exchanged this as a sign of devotion. It's a claddagh ring. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty... and the heart... Well, you know... Wear it with the heart pointing towards you. It means you belong to somebody. Like this. ." He said, showing her how he wore his own ring. Buffy then took his hand kissing it softly.

" Put it on." Angel told her, taking the ring from her and slipping it on her finger.

" I don't wanna do this." Buffy said sobbing again.

" Me either." Angel told her. Buffy took his hand then placing it against her cheek

as she placed her own hand behind his head, pulling him down to her catching his lips in a gentle kiss. Angel wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer too him, as the gentle kiss slowly became stronger and more passionate, neither one of them wanting this moment to end, knowing what would happen when it was over. Buffy placed one hand on Angel's cheek, tracing the contours of his face almost as if she was memorizing them, and Angel shuddered involuntarily at her light caress.

" Buffy, I....I" Angel said stopping their kisses abruptly leaving Buffy wanting more, But his sentence was cut off when something hit his back knocking him off balance. 

" Angel the box!" Buffy shouted and in one swift move Angel picked up the box and spun around, seeing now what Buffy had seen, four vampires were advancing on them and a fifth had been the one who had hit him. They both immediately got into a fighting stance as the first vampire rushed at them, and kicked Buffy causing Buffy to stumble backwards. Angel thrust the box he was holding outward, knocking the vampire across the jaw with it, sending it careening to the ground. As Buffy regained her footing as she saw that the vampires were now surrounding Angel and she quickly rushed forward to help him, sending a hail of punches and kicks to any vampire who got in front of her, but one escaped her notice and was on her in a moment grabbing her arms and pinning them behind her back, and she knelt down flipping him over her back causing him to knock over the three vampires in front of her, much like dominoes. She scanned the dock frantically for some sort of a stake, and wasn't paying attention just long enough for a vampire to come up behind her and kick her in the back sending her sailing into the wooden railings that separated the docks from the water. She grunted as all the air in her lungs was expelled at the impact of her body hitting the railing and she spun around just as two more vampires rushed her, lifting her up and throwing her over the railing and towards the water.

" Buffy!" She heard Angel shout before she hit the water. Her vision began to dim and her mind got fuzzy on impact as her body slowly slipped into unconsciousness, and began to inhale massive amounts of water. 

Angel felt as if everything was moving in slow motion as he watched Buffy's small form getting pitched over the railing by the vampires to the water below. He shouted her name and ran to the railing looking over to see Buffy floating face down in the water, not moving or even attempting to swim. He felt his heart sink at the thought that he could lose Buffy like this. He dropped the box, knowing he couldn't swim with it and Buffy, not caring anymore if Spike and Drusilla got a hold of it, only caring that he saved Buffy, cause he didn't know if he could live without her. Without another thought he jumped in the water landing about five feet away from Buffy, and he immediately swam towards her, and when he reached her he flipped her over and pulled her against him, and was greeted with the sound of her breathing, even if it was coming slower and shallower than usual, which meant she was alive just unconscious. He swam with her in his arms to the shore, carrying her on to the beach and laying her down.

" Buffy." He said, slapping Buffy's cheeks gently, willing her to open her eyes. Finally her eyes flew open and she came to sputtering and coughing up some of the water she had inhaled, as her stomach revolted and she vomited up the rest of the water onto the sand. She shuddered violently as the night air hit her wet clothes and she dragged a hand across her mouth, sitting up and Angel pulled her to him standing with her still wrapped in his arms. Just then Buffy realized Angel was no longer holding the box that contained the Judge's arm.

" They got the box?" Buffy asked pulling out of Angel's arms, and he just nodded. " Well I guess we're gonna have to find away to kill the Judge huh? I mean a way that doesn't involve the army. We should probably go to the library and tell Giles and Dominick." 

" Umm Buffy, we should probably change clothes first." Angel said indicating their soaking wet outfits, and Buffy chuckled softly as she imagined the look on the gangs' faces when they walked in soaking wet.

" Yeah, right, well I have clothes at the school but well you don't. So go change and meet me at the school." Buffy said and Angel kissed her on the cheek softly.

" Be careful." He said taking her hand in his own.

" Always am babe." Buffy said giving Angel one last kiss before she turned and walked away.

A/N: Some lines may have been taken from Surprise/ Innocence. Also some plot points have also been used. Please review.


	15. That Night

Chapter 15

*Disclaimer: See previous chapters.*

Buffy came back to the library and saw that all of her friends were still there researching this new threat that they had been presented with.

" Buffy, did Angel get off okay?" Giles asked when he heard the library doors swing open and he looked up from his book to see Buffy walking into the library.

" He, umm didn't leave." Buffy said softly.

" What do you mean he didn't leave? You know how important it is to get that box out of Sunnydale, how could you have been so irresponsible?" Giles asked practically shouting at his slayer.

" Chill Giles, we were attacked at the docks by Spike and Dru's men that's why he didn't leave." Buffy said feeling extremely agitated that Giles didn't trust her and Angel enough to do something without getting sidetracked.

" I'm so sorry, you and Angel are all right I assume? And the box Angel still has it?" Giles asked flushing at the fact that he had became angry at Buffy so easily.

" We're fine, but they got the box." Buffy said bracing herself for Giles' anger.

" Where's Angel now B?" Faith asked jumping in before Giles could lay into Buffy yet again.

" Umm, Jenny took him to get clothing. I had some clothes here." Buffy told her sister secretly thanking Faith for jumping before Giles could start yelling at her again.

" And the clothes changing would be because?" Xander asked raising an eyebrow skeptically at the thought of what Buffy and Angel could have been doing that could involve them changing clothes.

" We got wet." Buffy stated simply completely oblivious to the looks that Xander and Faith exchanged.

" Uh-huh and this would be before or after you got attacked?" Xander asked trying to goad Buffy for more information, but Faith smacked him lightly and shot him a glare.

" Shut up Xander." Buffy said rolling her eyes and sitting down at the table with her friends, picking up a book and looking at it half-heartedly, no more discussion being raised about why they had to change clothes, " So Giles what do we know?"

" The more I study the Judge, the less I like him. His touch can literally burn the humanity out of you. A true creature of evil can survive the process. No human ever has. " Giles told her.

" So what's the problem? We send Cordy to fight this guy and we get pizza." Xander said, and Cordelia glared at him, while Buffy and Faith ignored him completely.

" If only it were that simple, Xander." Dominick said.

" So can we stop this guy? Without an army?" Buffy asked.

" No weapon forged can kill him. Not very encouraging, if only we could stop them from assembling him." Giles said thoughtfully.

" We need to find him, right?" Faith asked, " Find out all his strengths and weakness and where they would be keeping him.

" That could take time." Dominick told his slayer.

" Looks like its gonna be an all-nighter guys." Buffy told her friends.

" I think its time to do a round robin." Xander suggested and the other teens nodded, " I'll go first."

" A round-who?" Giles asked him and Dominick clearly confused by what they were doing.

" Its where everyone calls there parents and tells them they are staying at someone else's house, thus freeing us up for all-night slayage or research." Buffy explained.

" Yeah or keggers and raves." Willow quipped, expecting her friends to at least smile or laugh a little, something to ease the tense nervousness in the room, instead all she got were blank looks and confused stares, " What Xander's the only one who can make stupid jokes?" 

" Hey my jokes are not stupid." Xander defended himself, hanging up the phone and was met with a chorus of " Yes the are" or " Well sometimes". He grumbled a little to himself and took his seat back at the table, the library falling quiet as everyone went back to researching.

This cozy little scene was what greeted Angel when he came into the library an hour later. Willow was sitting at a computer in the library, her eyes focused intently on whatever it was that she was studying, Dominick sitting next to her studying one of Giles' tomes. Xander and Faith were on the steps that led to the stacks of books, a book open next to them, which Xander was hunched over, Faith's head cradled in his lap, and one of Xander's hands was absentmindedly playing with Faith's long dark tresses. At closer inspection Angel could see that Faith's eyes were closed and she seemed to be sleeping quite peacefully. Angel felt fear grip his unbeating heart when he didn't see Buffy in the library with the rest of the gang and his mind started racing at what could have happened to her, had she been attacked on her way to the school, was she lying dead somewhere.

" Xander where's Buffy?" Angel asked gruffly, and Xander jumped startled, jostling Faith and causing her to sit up wild-eyed looking for danger.

" Jesus, Dead boy, I'm getting you a collar with a little bell." Xander said trying to calm his racing heart.

" Xander." Angel warned not wanting to deal with Xander's little quips and barbs not if something could have happened to Buffy.

" Calm down, she went into Giles' office with him like an hour ago or something." Xander told the menacing vampire, as Faith snuggled up to him. Angel got up and quickly strode to the Giles' office nearly running into Giles' himself as he walked out of his office, his nose buried in a book. Giles let out a little unmanly yelp but quickly regained his composure.

" Where's Buffy? Is she alright?" Angel asked frantically and Giles raised a finger to his lips hushing Angel as he shut his office door softly. As he shut the door Angel looked around him into the office and saw Buffy sitting at Giles' desk her head resting on her folded arms, her eyes shut and he felt better that she was safe and relieved that she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Giles' motioned Angel away from the door and over to the checkout desk, and Angel followed him after one last look at Buffy.

" Seems Buffy needed some rest." Giles said.

" Yeah, she hasn't been sleeping well. Tossing and turning." Angel said, and everyone looked at him a little shocked, and Angel knew that if he could blush he would right now since what he had just said didn't exactly place him in the best light, and he knew how Buffy's friends minds worked, " She told me. Because of her dreams?" And after that pronouncement everyone went back to what they were doing but not before shooting him a few disbelieving looks.

" Umm, yes, of course," Giles said a little flustered, " Angel, do you have any idea of how Buffy and Faith can defeat the Judge?" 

" Nothing short of an army." Angel said shrugging and sitting down at the table, picking up a book as Giles let out a frustrated sigh going behind the checkout counter, as Angel began to study the book in front of him intently.

" Angel!" Buffy shouted waking up from yet another nightmare, her body drenched in sweat shaking, this last dream had been more vivid and detailed than before. She had barely woken from the sleep induced haze when she felt two strong arms wrap around her trembling body.

" Shh," Angel soothed the trembling little blonde in his arms, " Its okay, I got you." He wanted anything to stop her from shaking, to take away the nightmares she had been having. He felt Buffy pull him tightly against her, and he just held her, stroking her sweat-soaked hair with one hand and with the other rubbing comforting circles in the small of her back, as some of her shaking started to subsided as she began to relax in his embrace. They sat like that for a few more moments before Buffy pulled away from Angel, taking his hand and leading him into the library where she was met with her friends concerned faces.

" You alright B?" Faith asked, and Buffy nodded.

" I know where Spike and Drusilla are." Buffy told her friends, when she came back into the library.

"That's very good, however, you, you do need a plan. I-I know you're concerned, Buffy, but you can't just go off half-cocked." Giles told her.

" I do have a plan, me, Angel and Faith go to the warehouse and do recon see how close they are to assembling the judge. You guys check any places the boxes could be coming into town. Shipping yards, airports, anything. We need to stop them from getting all the boxes in one place." Buffy told him.

" Yes, yes actually that's quite a good plan." Giles said.

" Giles, this thing is real, and we can't just sit around and wait for it to come to us." Buffy told him.

" Of course." Giles said. 

" You ready, Faith?" Buffy asked her twin and Faith nodded getting up from the spot she had taken on Xander's lap, following Buffy and Angel out of the library. Angel led the girls to the warehouse he had confronted Drusilla and Spike at last time they were in town. When they reached the building, they climbed up the ladder on the side of the warehouse, and climbed into a broken window that lead them onto the catwalk which surrounded the ground floor of the warehouse. As the walked to the edge of the catwalk, they were confronted by the sight of Spike in a wheelchair, Drusilla next to him and about eight or ten vampires flanking them, but their was a new face in the mix, a tall, lumbering blue armor clad demon with horns on either side of his head who was standing behind Spike and Drusilla.

" Holy shit!" Faith exclaimed, " Check out big blue."

" I'm guessing the Judge is up and running." Buffy affirmed and Angel nodded, and Buffy gripped the railing of the catwalk tighter unable to take her eyes off of the demon in front of her.

" Guess we should go tell Giles that the Judge has been assembled." Angel told the girls and they nodded but before they could move an inch Buffy saw the Judge's gaze shift up to them, locking eyes with her.

" Uh-oh, I think we've been spotted." Buffy hissed out of the corner of her mouth and Angel and Faith followed her gaze to the demon that was now looking up at them.

" Uh guys we better get outta here." Faith told her two friends and they turned to run but they're path was blocked by three vampires, and when they turned to run the other way they were blocked by yet more vampires. Angel and Buffy quickly got into battle stance their eyes sweeping along the vampires seeing which ones would be the easiest to take out, it was only then that they noticed Faith was no longer with them but being dragged down the stairs by two vampires screaming and struggling the whole way.

" Angel get Faith!" Buffy shouted to her boyfriend as a vampire rushed her and she gave him a swift uppercut to his jaw sending him flying backwards a few feet, and Buffy didn't even pause as she swung into a roundhouse knocking over a vampire who was trying to rush her from behind. But while she was in the air a vampire ran at her and tackled her to the ground, causing all the air to be expelled from her lungs as she hit the hard metal grating floor of the catwalk. The two vampires she had taken down rushed forward and grabbed her roughly by her upper arms pulling her to her feet as Buffy struggled fruitlessly against them, their grip on her arms was just to strong and she could already feel the beginnings of bruises forming not only on her arms where the vampires were holding her but also on her back where she had hit the floor. She could do nothing but allow herself to be dragged down to the ground floor and she cast a look at Angel and saw that he was still holding his own against the three remaining vampires. 

"Buffy!" Angel shouted when he saw his girlfriend being dragged away by two vampires and in the split second he was distracted a vampire kicked him in the chest causing him to stumble and nearly lose his balance, and two more vampires grabbed his arms, dragging him with them to the ground floor where they had taken both Buffy and Faith. Angel stopped struggling with the vampires when they came to a stop beside Buffy and Faith, and in front of Spike, Drusilla and the Judge. He glanced sideways at Buffy and Faith and saw that both of them appeared rather unharmed and were still struggling fiercely against their captors. 

" Look wha' we have here Dru, Angelus and his two whores come to crash our lovely party." Spike said glibly smirking when he heard Angel growl at the use of the word whore in describing Buffy and Faith.

" I'm sure our invitations were just lost in the mail." Buffy managed between gritted teeth.

" Well at leas' we will be able ta test out our new toy won't we pet?" Spike asked Drusilla taking her hand in his own, turning to the Judge, " Alright big blue your up, do whatever it is that ya do, make sure you do the blonde one first thoug'." 

"NO!" Angel shouted struggling harder against the vampires that were holding him, " Take me instead of them!" 

" You don't get it Angelus, there is no instead of just first, second and third." Spike said chuckling cruelly and the Judge walked around him advancing on Buffy, his hands out in front of him. Everything in Buffy's body was telling her to struggle against the vampires that were holding her, that she couldn't let this demon touch her but it was as if just looking at the Judge had frozen her place and she couldn't do anything but stand their and watch her eyes growing wide with fear and anticipation.

" Buffy don't let him touch you!" Angel shouted fear in his voice as he saw his girlfriend standing there not moving as the Judge got closer to her, feeling helpless to do anything but struggle against the vampires holding him.

Kick him B! Buffy heard someone who sounded very much like Faith scream inside her head knocking away some of the haze that had clouded her mind since the Judge had begun to advance on her.

Faith, what are you doing in my head? Buffy though back but screamed it at the same time, causing the Judge to stop moving and all the vampires to look at her as if she was going crazy. Buffy then did as Faith commanded using her legs to jump up and kick the Judge square in the chest and she felt something like electricity jolt her body, her kick didn't even cause the Judge to stumble, but the momentum caused the vampires holding her to fall backwards and lose their grip on her arms and at the same moment Faith and Angel managed to break their captors grips and they all began to run through the factory.

" What are you wankers standin' around for? Get them!" They heard Spike bellow but they were already near the sewer entrance Angel knew was in the warehouse. He quickly pulled the door open and they dropped down into the sewers beginning to run as soon as their feet hit the ground. They had only gotten a few feet when they heard the pounding footfalls behind them and knew the vampires were chasing them. They soon reached a fork in the sewers and the stopped.

" We can't stay together, we're too easy to catch this way. Faith go back to the library and see if anyone is there, tell them what we found out, me and Buffy will keep going straight and let the vampires follow us." Angel commanded and Faith just nodded dumbly as the vampire's footfalls began to echo all around them as they got closer. Buffy and Angel began to run again, and they noticed that their pursuers hadn't stopped or paused at all and Buffy knew that Faith had gotten away okay, that they probably still thought she was with them. Buffy knew she couldn't continue running much longer, her limbs were beginning to ache from the continued exertion, her lungs burning with the need for oxygen, the adrenaline coursing through her body not enough to keep her going any more. She felt Angel grab her hand and pull her into an even darker corridor and heard him slam a heavy metal door behind them and Buffy was glad that they were able to stop for a minute as she gulped in the stale sewer air like it was the best thing she had ever had in her whole entire life. 

" Alright, I bought us some time, but we can't stop moving they will be here in a second." Angel told her and she nodded still panting and gulping in air, as they began to run again. They heard the door burst open but were already to the ladder that lead up to the streets, and Angel had Buffy go first and using her exceptional strength she managed to push of the manhole cover and crawl out of the sewers, only to be pelted by cold hard rain that was falling. Angel followed her out a few seconds later, and recovered the manhole, grabbing Buffy's hand and pulling her with him towards his mansion. They were only running for a few minutes but their clothes were soaked and sticking to their bodies, by the time Angel pushed open the door to the mansion, and pulled Buffy inside closing the door behind them.

" Its okay Buffy, we're safe now." Angel reassured her placing his hands on her shoulder and felt the small blond slayer shaking fiercely, " You're shaking like a leaf."  
" Cold." Buffy murmured through her chattering teeth.

" Let me get you something. Angel said , reaching into his dresser drawer and pulling out a white tee shirt and a pair of gray sweat pants, handing them to Buffy. " Put these on and get under the covers, just to warm up." Buffy sat on the bed looking at him expectantly, and Angel couldn't tell for the life of him what she wanted.

" Umm could you turn around?" Buffy asked softly feeling her cheeks grow warm as a flush crept up her cheeks.

" Right, right." Angel stammered turning his back to Buffy. Buffy began to pull of the over shirt she had on over the tank top she had found in her locker, and hissed in pain when she felt the shirt tear away from a cut on her shoulder that she didn't even know was there, " What's wrong?" Angel asked concerned.

" It's n-nothing, just a cut or something." Buffy said softly, cursing Angel's vampiric hearing.

"Can I... Let me see." Angel said turning and walking to Buffy sitting on the bed next to her.

" Okay." Buffy whispered suddenly feeling very naked in her soaking wet spaghetti strapped tank top and pulled her overskirt against her chest, turning her back to Angel. Angel saw the small cut on Buffy's shoulder blade and moved her tank top strap, running his finger gently over the small cut, feeling Buffy shiver under his soft touch. 

" It's already closed, your fine." Angel told her and Buffy nodded, but Angel didn't move instead he ran his finger up and down Buffy's arm gently and he felt her shoulders start to shake as she began to sob when the tears that she had been holding back all night came bursting out.

" You almost went away tonight." She murmured through her tears. Angel didn't say anything just pulled Buffy to his chest and wrapped his arms around her trying to calm her down.

" We both did." Angel told her running his fingers through her wet tangled hair, Buffy turned her face towards him leaning her forehead against him. Her tears dampening his cheeks. Angel loved the feel of her warm body against him, loved how perfectly she fit inside his arms, loved how she smelled and the way she made him feel when she looked at him, smiled him, touched him and kissed him. She was the only person who could make him feel alive like a human, not the vampire that he was and he realized that he was in love with the girl and had been since he had first seen her no matter how hard he had tried to stop himself.

" Angel..." Buffy said her voice breaking, " I feel like if I lost you....You're right though we can't be sure of anything."

" Shh, I..." Angel began but it seemed as if the words got stuck in his throat.

" You what?" Buffy asked turning to face him.

" I love you and I try not to but I can't stop." Angel murmured a few tears of his own slipping down his cheeks and mixing with Buffy's.

" Me, me too, I can't either." Buffy said, lifting her face from his and kissing him passionately. This kiss was deeper and longer and it cut straight to Angel's soul. Buffy's hand was on the nape of Angel's neck now, her small fingers playing with stroking his neck, and he felt himself stiffening at her touch, he wanted her so badly but his conscience was screaming at him to stop and it took every fiber of his being to pull away from the kiss.

" M-maybe we shouldn't." Angel said trying to turn his head so Buffy wouldn't see the longing in his eyes. 

" Don't. Just kiss me." Buffy said grabbing his face pressing her lips to his again, pushing him back onto the bed. They rolled over and he got on top of her, desire filling their kisses now, as Buffy's small warm hands slid under his shirt, he began to kiss down her neck, placing feather-light kisses on her collarbone and then making his way slowly up to his mouth devouring her as their tongues battled for dominance. Buffy pulled him closer locking her legs around his hips as Angel plunged his tongue deeper into her mouth hearing a little moan escape Buffy's lips as he slid his hand under her shirt, teasing her flesh before he cupping her breast running his fingers softly over the lace covered mound. Buffy began to pull his shirt off, wriggling under Angel in such a way that he felt his dick began to throb at her movements. It was now his turn to pull Buffy's soaking wet tank top over her head before fumbling with the clasp of her bra and exposing her breasts. Angel then began to kiss down Buffy's neck descending down her chest, placing light kisses on her stomach before hooking his thumbs underneath her pants and sliding them down her legs, and then kissing his way back up to her mouth, devouring his mouth hungrily.

" Oh god Angel," Buffy murmured breathlessly, " I need you." She said and then reached between their aching bodies, fumbling with the button and zipper on his jeans as he wriggled out of them. Buffy gasped as she felt his hardened flesh probing her delicate center. 

" Buffy, we don't have to do this." Angel said between kisses, not knowing what he would do if she decided she didn't want to continue with what they were doing.

" Angel, I want to." Buffy said panting pulling him back down to her, as he thrust himself into her slowly. Buffy expected to feel pain since it was her first time and everyone always said that your first time was supposed to hurt, but Angel was so gentle and so loving with each touch and caress that none of the pain was there. Buffy couldn't believe how incredible it felt to be held by Angel, as he thrust himself deeper inside of her. Buffy moaned in pleasure, her entire body tingling as she tightened her legs around his waist trapping him against her as the settled into a rhythm. Angel's bedroom was filled with pants and moans, as they rocked faster and faster together. Buffy felt an indescribable warm sensation over take her body as she hit her peak and cried out quaking beneath Angel as he caught her screams with his mouth, pumping fast and harder now. Buffy heard Angel groan and began to shudder as he stopped moving above her spilling himself into her. He slid out of her rolling over onto his back laying next to Buffy on the bed, both of them staying intertwined, panting for air, only one of them needing the oxygen.

" Wow." Buffy said through her pants, a small half-smile playing on her lips as she rolled over resting her head under Angel's chin and wrapping an arm around Angel's chest as she began to came down from the high she had just felt.

" Yeah wow is right." Angel said softly kissing the top of Buffy's golden blonde head, " I love you."

" I love you too." Buffy said lifting her head up and kissing him softly on the lips before snuggling up against Angel yet again as Angel pulled the up around her shoulders. His mind swimming with thoughts of Buffy and the act they had just done moments before as he stroke Buffy's hair listening to her breathing slow and become deeper as she drifted off to sleep in his arms. Angel kiss the top of her head one last time, wrapping his arms tighter around her as he shut his own eyes and drifted off to sleep a satisfied smile on his face.

A/N: Some lines may have been taking from Surprise/Innocence. I know I'm not to good at writing these erotic scenes but I think this will be the only one in this story. Sorry if it isn't too great, please please review. 


	16. Changes

Chapter 16

* Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, I'm just borrowing, they belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Thank you for all of your reviews, I hope you like this chapter, please read and review.*

Angel woke up as a searing pain shot through his body, a pain that felt as if someone or something was pulling his insides out. He was still intertwined with Buffy and as more pains racked his body, he slid out of bed as quietly and carefully as possible so he wouldn't wake Buffy. He could only remember being in this much pain one other time in his long life, and that was when the gypsy put his soul back in, but then it was more as if something was being shoved inside of his body as opposed to the ripping and tearing pain he was feeling now. Oh god, he thought thoroughly panicked now, my soul, its being taken away. He knew now he had to get as far away from Buffy as possible since if he was losing his soul it meant that he had only minutes before his alter-ego Angelus resurfaced. Angel cast one last look at Buffy, memorizing her face, her hair and everything about her before he threw open the mansion door and falling onto the sidewalk in front of the mansion as the pains began to come more frequently and grew incredibly worse. But as quickly as the pain began it ended just as abruptly and Angel realized how hungry he was, except he was no longer the whimpering little sissy Angel, he was Angelus and it felt good to be back. Angelus picked himself up off of the ground, forgetting all about the small blonde girl sleeping in his bed with no idea of what had just transpired, in his hunger. He decided to go get find someone to eat and then go see what Spike and Drusilla were up to, he would deal with the slayers and their friends later.

Buffy awoke slowly, not wanting to lose the warmth and blissful calm she felt while she was asleep. When she finally came completely out of her sleeping state she was a little disoriented at exactly where she was but then the mind-blowing events of the night before came back to her and not to mentioning the feeling she had as she feel asleep in Angel's arms. Buff opened her eyes a little and was confronted with the sight that the bed next to her where Angel had fallen asleep was empty.

" Angel?" She called out, sitting up, pulling the comforter tighter around her body, wondering if maybe Angel just went to the kitchen to make breakfast for them or to finish drying her clothes. She felt her heart began to trip-hammer in her chest when Angel didn't answer her. She got out of bed slowly, pulling the comforter with her making sure it was securely wrapped around her body before she began to search the mansion for any sign of Angel. When she couldn't find him, she began to become panicked at the thought that maybe Angel had run off to fight Spike, Drusilla and the Judge on his own. But she felt her heart began to grow heavy when she thought that maybe the reason Angel was no where to be found was because of her, maybe the beautiful experience she thought she shared with Angel wasn't as special to him as it was to her, and maybe she had done something wrong to make him leave. She quickly shook her head trying to get rid of the thoughts racing and battling in her mind. Buffy located Angel's clock and saw that it was a little after seven, and she quickly began racing around his bedroom trying to find her clothes. Buffy didn't want to go to school wearing the same clothes she had worn the night before, she didn't want to deal with her friends' questions, so she needed to get home, take a shower and change clothes, but she only had an hour before school started, and knew that with the walk and then the shower she would most likely miss her first class. But school wasn't exactly a priority compared to her missing boyfriend and the unkillable demon Spike and Drusilla had managed to raise. Buffy wrote Angel a quick letter and then left his house. It took her about fifteen minutes to walk from Angel's to her house, seriously hoping that her mom had already gone to work and took Dawn to school, because she didn't want to answer a million questions about her night. Buffy unlocked the door, and walked straight into her house , not stopping but going straight up the stairs.

" Buffy?" Joyce called from the kitchen. _Oh great_, Buffy thought to herself, turning as her mother entered the foyer.

"Hey." Buffy said softly.

" Hey honey, did you have fun last night?" Joyce asked her daughter. Buffy felt a flush creeping up her cheeks, wondering exactly how it seemed that her mother knew everything, seriously did she have like I'm no longer a virgin written on her forehead.

" Fun?" Buffy asked trying to hide her nervousness at her mother's line of questioning.

" You know at Willow's." Joyce asked kind of confused by why her daughter was acting all fidgety and nervous.

" Yeah, fun at Willow's, you know, she is a fun machine." Buffy said chuckling nervously. 

" Are you hungry?" Joyce asked.

"No, uh no, I-I'm just going to go shower." Buffy said starting back up the stairs, "Mom, where's the brat?"

" I really wish you wouldn't call her that. Besides she got a ride with Meghan." Joyce told Buffy, " So if you hurry I can drive you to school."

" Thanks." Buffy said.

" Is something wrong?" Joyce asked looking at Buffy curiously.

" No, what would be wrong?" Buffy asked

" I don't know. You just look..." Joyce said letting her voice trail off. Joyce hated how distant Buffy had become in the last two years, but she knew it was probably just a stage or something, that Buffy was just growing up. But they had been so close when she was younger and it was hard for her to deal with the distance between her and her middle daughter.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

" The bus depot was a total washout. And may I say what a lovely place to spend the night." Xander said, rolling his eyes as he entered the library and was greeted by Faith, Dominick, and Giles all wearing equal grim expressions.

" What's the what guys?" Xander asked a little unnerved by the looks on their faces as he hopped up on the checkout desk.

" Yeah, what's with the grim?" Willow asked following Xander's motions. It was then that they realized someone was missing and it was Buffy.

" Where's the Buffmeister?" Xander asked Faith who just shrugged. Just then Cordelia walked into the library with Miss Calendar. 

" Geez who died?" Cordelia asked noticing the Scooby's grim expressions.

" In theory, no one, but the Judge has been assembled and Buffy still hasn't checked in." Giles told everyone and Jenny walked over placing a comforting hand on Giles' shoulder. She knew Giles felt a sort of fatherly affection for Buffy, one that went beyond the watcher/slayer relationship, knowing that he was extremely worried about Buffy. 

" Well arm the cavalry, lets go help Buffy." Xander commanded hopping off of the counter.

" Xander, I believe Faith should be the one to find Buffy and Angel by herself, she has a better chance against the Judge should she run into him." Dominick told the boy gently, he knew Xander had a fierce protection when it came to Buffy, Faith and Willow, and if he had to save one of the girls by giving his own life, there was absolutely no doubt in Dominick's mind he would do it without any regrets.

" And you want us to what? Sit around like a bunch of useless lumps while Buffy is out there possibly dying," Xander practically shouted but Faith put her hand on his forearm to calm him, " Well no way, I'm going with Faith, and all of you should too, I mean Buffy is our friend."

" Yeah, he's right, Buffy's our friend and she needs us." Willow said, standing next to Xander, crossing her arms over her chest, imploring the rest of their friends to join them.

" Well, are you coming or not?" Xander asked his friends tapping his foot impatiently.

" And do what Xander? Besides be afraid and die?" Cordelia asked snidely.

" Fine, if you all feel that way, stay here, but I'm going to help my friend." Xander said angrily and him, Faith and Willow started towards the door, but before they even reached the door, it swung open and Buffy walked in.

" Hey Buffy, we were just coming to save your lousy behind." Faith said sarcastically, turning back around now that she saw that her sister was okay.

" Well at least some of us were." Xander said turning a icy glare on the rest of the gang in the library, and all of them looked equally sheepish.

" Have you guys heard from Angel?" Buffy asked coming into the library.

_Figures_, Xander thought, _All of us are ready to go out and die for her and all she cares about Deadboy_. He snorted and slumped down at the study table.

" He isn't with you?" Willow asked.

" No, we got followed down into the sewers, we had to split up and hide out. You haven't heard from him?" Buffy asked looking around at her friends as they all shook their heads.

" Buffy, I understand you are worried about Angel, but we do have more pressing matters to deal with." Giles said and Buffy spun around looking at him a little shocked and kinda of bewildered, " I'm sorry, sorry but-"

" I know Giles, Judge, so what the sitch?" Buffy asked as Giles pulled off his glass and began to clean them.

" Well, we still haven't figured out how to kill him, but we will continue researching and I'm hopeful we will figure some way to kill him, but for now the best thing the two of you can do is go to class and we will train and research after school." Giles told her and the rest of the self-named Scooby Gang. All of the kids nodded in agreement and grabbed their things and headed off to class. Buffy was the first out the door, her head in the clouds as she walked, mind still focused on Angel's absence this morning and what exactly it was that made him leave. She was hoping that he was still safe and that he would somehow contact her, and calm her feelings that he had left because of something she was lacking.

" Buffy." Willow called as she watched her friend practically flee from the library, she had noticed a haunted expression in Buffy's eyes and knew it was probably due to the fact that Buffy was worried since Angel apparently was missing. Willow finally caught up with Buffy as she walked up the stairs to the second floor of the school, and she placed a hand on Buffy's arm. Buffy turned around and Willow could see worry and fear evident not only in her green eyes but also on her face. " Buffy, I'm sure Angel is fine, I mean he's probably hiding from the sun well 'cause he's a well and the sun isn't exactly the best thing for his complexion....and I'm babbling huh?" Buffy couldn't help but smile despite her worry. She loved that about Willow, she was so empathetic, she always knew when one of her friends was upset about something and tried her best to make her feel better, that is the reason Willow was Buffy's best friend.

" I don't know, maybe I'm just wigging over nothing, or maybe something really happened, I just wish he would get in touch with me." Buffy said her voice strained and barely above a whisper. Willow smiled sympathetically at her friend and gave her friend's arm a reassuring squeeze.

" I'm sure he will Buff." Willow said trying to sound reassuring but she still had her doubts but then it wasn't the first time Angel had disappeared for a day sometimes it ended up being days or weeks. Her and Buffy continued walking up the stairs to the classroom oblivious to the fact that Miss Calendar had just listened to their whole conversation.

Jenny's heart was breaking for Buffy, since she knew that the reason Angel hadn't contacted Buffy was something that would break the young girl's heart and put her through the worst test of her young life. Her Uncle Enyos had informed Jenny that morning that Angel's curse had been lifted, which meant only one thing that Angelus, the Scourge of Europe had returned. She had been chewed out by her uncle for failing at the job she was sent to the states for, when she had allowed Angel to achieve the one moment of true happiness which would cause the lose of his soul. Jenny had wished she had known what the clause in Angel's curse had been before it was too late maybe she would have tried harder to prevent it. She wanted to tell Buffy and the others, knowing just how hard it would be on Buffy when she ran into the evil demon who was wearing her lovers face, but she didn't quite know how to tell them. How in the world could she possibly tell the man she was falling in love with and the children she had grown so fond of and adored that she had lied to them for months because her people were vengeful. That her name wasn't really Jenny Calendar, and that she had been sent to Sunnydale to keep an eye on Angel so his curse continued to stand. She decided in that moment that she had to keep it from them, let them find out on their own, it would break Rupert's heart not to mention turn the rest of the them against her. She sighed, and went to her own classroom.

Buffy went through the day like a robot set on autopilot. She didn't pay attention in any of her classes her mind still too preoccupied with what had happened to Angel or with Angel. Her and Faith had decided at lunch that day that really needed to talk to Giles and Dominick about their little psychic talking in each other's head last night, which still creeped Buffy out to no end. Buffy knew it was something they had to do but she would much rather go to Angel's and see if he had turned up, and if he had make sure he was alright and not injured in any way.

Buffy left her last class and met Faith, Willow and Xander in the hallway and they all went to the library, talking about that day and how boring their classes had been all aware of how extremely quiet Buffy was but they knew that she was still worried about no show Angel. When they got to the library they saw Giles and Dominick hunched over tons of musty old books, empty cups of tea next to both of them.

"Oh look at the study party." Xander said sarcastically.

" Yes Xander this is quite my idea of a party." Dominick snapped looking up from his book.

" Geez touchy much? Your old and British studying isn't your idea of a party?" Xander said still ribbing Dominick playfully and Faith swiftly elbowed him.

" Xander are you going to stand there making tiresome comments all day or would you like to help?" Giles said testily. Xander sighed and rolled his eyes sitting down at the table next to Willow, and just then Cordelia walked into the library, earning surprised looks from the rest of the gang.

" Hey Queen C, giving up your afternoon of shopping for me?" Xander quipped.

" Bite me Harris." Cordelia said taking a place at the table.

" Cordelia you hate us, why do you keep showing up?" Xander asked trying to act serious.

" You guys remind me of a bad car wreck, no matter how morbid it is you can't stop looking." Cordelia said scathingly and her and Xander continued to argue with one another, and the rest of the gang just ignored them, because their bickering was just a common occurrence.

" Hey Giles, Dom, me and Buffy need to talk to you...umm privately." Faith said, and Giles led the three of them into his office shutting the door behind them. They didn't notice that the bickering had stopped as Cordelia, Willow and Xander exchanged curious looks, staying silent as they began researching yet again. 

" What's going on girls?" Giles asked curiously as the twins took a seat on top of his desk, not knowing what they needed to talk about.

" Well, umm, last night at the factory, something really freaky happened..." Buffy began.

" Hey I thought it was cool." Faith jumped in.

" Yeah, whatever but it wasn't your mind being invaded." Buffy retorted. 

" Exactly what are you talking about?" Dominick asked sounding perplexed, looking over at Giles who just shrugged and shook his head, since he honestly never understood what the girls or any of the other kids were talking about.

" We're talking about the fact that Faith talked in my mind last night." Buffy said as their watchers mouths dropped open.

" You mean you two communicated psychically?" Dominick asked, and Buffy and Faith had to try and not laugh at the excitement in their watchers' eyes, they were seriously such dorks.

" Uh-huh, that's what we did, but why? I mean it was cool in a creepy way but I can't deal with Faith in my head all the time." Buffy said.

" Actually we knew this was a possibility." Dominick said and Giles turned to him in surprise since he never knew anything about this.

" How did you know?" Giles asked.

" Faith when we moved here, did you feel a connection with Buffy?" Dominick asked and Faith nodded.

" Yeah, but I thought that was just because we were both slayers." Faith said and Buffy nodded in agreement.

" No, it seems you had a connection before that. Faith after I brought you to live with me in England, you had a dream and I believe it was a shared dream between you and Buffy. When I told the council about this they decided to severe the connection between the two of you." Dominick started.

" How?" Faith asked and this was the part of the story he was regretting, telling Faith just how far the council had gone to insure she would have no memory of the sister and family she had been taken from. He had told her everything else but he had left this one part out.

" They umm in technical terms brainwashed you, they were afraid that if you remembered anything about your life before you wouldn't be as compliant." Dominick said nervously, Faith diverted her eyes from Dominick's looking at a spot on the floor in front of her, not wanting him to see the hurt and betrayal in her eyes. Buffy couldn't help but stare at Dominick with such contempt and anger in her eyes, she couldn't believe how much the council had violated her sister, and she looked at Giles and saw how shocked he looked.

" Faith, look at me, I'm really sorry, I didn't want to let them but I didn't have any other choice," Dominick said kneeling down in front of her, placing his hand on her chin turning her head so she was looking at him, his heart broke when he saw a tear rolling down her face.

" How could they do this to me?" Faith asked softly, trying to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

" The council makes many rash and uncalled for decisions, but I am truly sorry." Dominick said wiping the tear off of his surrogate daughter's cheek, she nodded and composed herself.

" I believe we should work on honing your mental skills since this new ability will prove extremely useful on your patrols and such." Giles suggested, and the girls nodded in agreement. They began to test Buffy and Faith's connection with one another, and then took them into the library to do some regular sparring, while the rest of the gang was researching the Judge. Buffy's mind was a million miles away still worried about Angel and Faith was finding it very easy to take Buffy down.

" You okay Buffy?" Faith asked after she slammed Buffy on the mat for a fourth time, offering her hand to Buffy and helping her to her feet.

" Yeah, I'm fine Faith, just a little out of it, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Buffy told her sister and Faith raised her eyebrows at the innuendo in the last statement, " Eww, mind out of the gutter Faith, it was cause of the hiding."

" Bullshit," Faith said blatantly and Buffy blushed shocked at her sister's statement, " Your still worried about Angel." Buffy just nodded looking away from her sister, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

" Girls," Giles shouted from his vantage point at the checkout counter, " I believe that is quite enough for today, you can go home." He noticed that Buffy's mind was faraway and she wasn't even trying to spar with Faith today, and he knew both girls were still a little fragile after what Dominick had confessed to them, Faith was taking out her hurt and betrayal the best way she knew how with her fists and Buffy was concentrating on all the other things in her life and not on the sparring with Faith, and he decided it would be best to end it before either one of them got hurt. Buffy looked extremely grateful as she practically ran from the library, heading towards Angel's praying that he would be there. She walked up to his house and tried the door, it wasn't locked and her heart leaped a little at the thought that he was there now waiting for her but then she remembered that she was the last person to leave and didn't have a key to his mansion.

" Angel," She called when she walked into the house and was only met with resounding silence. The house was quiet and dark, and Buffy walked over to the area where he kept his bed and dresser, pulling back the curtain surrounding the bed. It was empty and one of his shirts was lying on his bed. Buffy picked it up, clutching it closely to her chest and burying her face in it, taking in Angel's scent as a tear of emotional exhaustion slipped down her cheek, when she felt a familiar tingle up her spine, like she felt when a vampire was near and spun around to see Angel standing behind her, shirtless, hair damp like he had just came from the shower. He was standing with his back to her, picking a shirt out of his dresser. Buffy felt her heart leap with joy at him standing in front of her, uninjured. She rushed at him, throwing her arms around his neck and showering him with kisses. The petite blonde who had flung herself at him surprised Angelus and then he remembered that she was the slayer whom Angel loved and he decided to go with it, follow her lead and just have a little fun.

" Oh god Angel, I was so scared, I woke up and you weren't there. Where did you go?" Buffy babbled nervously, as her lips caught Angel's and she kissed him, but he pulled away.

" Been around." Angelus told her.

" Oh, I was like freaking out you just disappeared." Buffy said hugging him harder.

" What? I took off." Angel said pulling on his shirt.

" But- but you just left, you didn't say anything." Buffy said confused.

" Yeah. Like I really wanted to stick around after that." Angelus said a smirk forming on his features as he saw the astonishment on her face as she backed away from him like she was burned. Her mind was racing, disbelief at what he had just said.

" What?" Buffy asked in a small hurt voice, and Angelus couldn't help but be a little pleased at the hurt he heard in the slayer's voice.

" You got a lot to learn about men kiddo. Although you proved that last night." Angelus said.

" What are you saying?" Buffy asked not believing Angel was saying this stuff to her.

" Let's not make an issue out of it okay? In fact lets not talk about it at all. It happened." Angelus said grabbing his coat.

" I- I don't understand. W- was it me? Was I not good enough?" Buffy asked softly.

" You were great. Really. I thought you were a pro." Angelus said coldly and was rewarded for his cruelty with tears filling Buffy's big green eyes, and he realized that she had no idea her boyfriend was gone, and Angelus realized he was tormenting this girl with just his words and that was a more fulfilling form of torture than any he knew.

"Angel, how," Buffy began but the last word came out as nothing more than a squeak and she needed to compose herself before she could continue on, " How can you say these things to me?"

" Lighten up. It was a good time. It doesn't mean we have to make a big deal about it." Angel told her.

" It _is_ a big deal." Buffy told him.

" It's what? Bells ringing, fireworks, a dulcet choir of pretty little birds, come on its not like I've never been there before." Angelus told her turning to leave.

" Angel." Buffy called softly, about to ask him if she meant anything, but she decided against it. Angelus turned just in time to see a tear fall from Buffy's eyes and slip down her cheek. He went to her reaching a hand out to capture the tear, but Buffy backed away quickly, " Don't touch me!" She growled through gritted teeth fighting against the emotions raging inside of her, trying to keep them under control as Angelus coldly chuckled at her pain.

"I should have known you wouldn't be able to handle it." He said dropping his hand, pulling open the door.

" Angel, I love you." Buffy called after him.

" Love ya too babe. I'll call you." He called over his shoulder, chuckling to himself as he strode out of the mansion. Buffy felt numb, her body not knowing what to do. Part of her wanted to chase after him, rage at him, scream out all of her pain and beat him senseless for daring to say what he had to her, for acting like she meant nothing to him, the other part of her wanted to fall on the floor, curl into a little ball and give into all the pain she felt. She knew Angel, her Angel, the man who loved her so fiercely was so tender would never say those things to her. _A spell_, she thought, _someone did a spell on him to turn him against me_. She needed to get to the library, get the gang researching spells that could change someone's temperament that much. She was trying to ignore the fact that Angel's words had cut deep, even if he was under a spell, but they had, especially after last night, when she had given Angel everything, her heart, her body and soul and to have that thrown back in her face that way was just to much. She knew she had to stop thinking about it, that if she gave into the pain and let herself cry she wouldn't be able to sleep. So with one last glance at the bedroom where the night before she had felt so loved, she left, slamming the door to the mansion behind her, as she walked to the school, her body on autopilot once again as she tried to forget the things Angel had said but only made them resound in her mind louder.

*TBC*


	17. Pain and Solace

Chapter 17

*Disclaimer: See previous chapters. 

As night fell over Sunnydale, Giles and the gang kept researching, looking for any and all weaknesses they could use in defeating the Judge while Dominick had taken Faith on patrol since Buffy had not resurfaced after sunset and Giles had begun to get a little worried about his slayer, not to mention he could hear all of the kids' stomachs growling and knew that they too were worried about why Buffy hadn't shown up.

" That's it, I say we order a pizza." Xander said after his stomach growled fiercely, shattering the silence of the library as everyone gave him strange looks, " What I know you all were thinking it." 

" Xander I believe we should wait for Buffy to get here then we will figure out a plan of attack." Giles told the boy.

" And why can't we eat pizza while we wait for Buffy?" Xander implored, and Giles was about to protest when the door swung open and everyone looked up expectantly hoping it was Buffy.

" Oh its just you guys." Cordelia said scathingly when she realized it was just Faith and Dominick coming back from patrol. Xander looked at Cordelia and rolled his eyes at her bluntness once again. Xander knew Cordelia hung around them because Buffy and Faith had saved her life, but it wasn't like every person they had ever saved was jumping to become a member of the Scooby Gang, and she didn't really like any of them, except for maybe Faith. As much as Xander hated to admit it, Cordelia and Faith had become pretty good friends.

" Yeah, its great to see you too Cor." Faith said, rolling her eyes at Xander and then sitting down in his lap, " So still no B huh?" And everyone just shook his or her heads.

" Buffy said she was heading to Angel's after training today, but she should be back by now, I just hope she's okay." Willow said nervously, twisting her hair around her finger.

" I'm sure Buffy is all right." Xander said reaching around Faith and patting Willow's shoulder comfortingly, and she gave him a small smile.

" Yeah Will, B's fine, she can take care of herself." Faith said before turning and kissing Xander softly. Willow just nodded but neither one of them were paying attention to her both to wrapped up in themselves, she got up from the table and went into the hall. Willow didn't know why it still bugged her so much to see Faith and Xander together, she thought she hadn't gotten rid of all of her lusty feelings for Xander especially now that she had Oz, but it still hurt to see Xander with Faith knowing he had been so blind to her feelings for him.

" Hey Will." Xander said from behind her and Willow jumped turning around to face him.

" Why would you do that Xander?" Willow asked pushing at his chest playfully and Xander gave her his trademark goofy grin before slipping back into a serious expression.

" What's going on Will?" He asked brown eyes locking with green ones.

" Nothing, I'm just worried about Buffy because she's worried about Angel and not concentrating and I don't want her to get hurt." Willow rushed out looking away from Xander, hoping he would buy the story.

" Will, Buffy's little miss slay gal she can hold her own, and besides that's not what I meant, I meant what's going on with us." Xander said turning Willow's head so she was looking at him.

" Nothing, Xand, nothing's going on with us." Willow said, hoping her eyes didn't betray her words. Xander was her best friend, had been since they were in kindergarten, he could read her really well, but yet Willow couldn't bring herself to tell him her feelings for him. He's with Faith now, Willow kept reminding herself.

" Willow, don't tell me its nothing. Ever since Faith and Buffy got back from their dad's this summer, you've been acting weird, distant. Will, we're best friends and I don't want things to be weird between us." Xander pleaded with Willow, his brown eyes filled with concern. Xander had been through everything together, Willow was his lifeline, the one person in the world he could count on when things got rough at home, or at school, and he didn't want to lose that friendship.

" No weirdness here Xand, its just I've been busy with-with school yeah, and helping Buffy and Faith with the slaying and now there's this thing with the Judge, Angel might be missing and possibly dead so yeah I guess I've been distant but its not about you its never about you." Willow told him and he seemed to accept her explanation.

" Well, I don't know how to help you with all that stuff, but I've been thinking about how to fight the Judge," Xander began to explain, and Willow looked at him skeptically, " Yes, I, Xander Harris, King of Cretins has been thinking and ooh, ooh I think I have a plan," Willow was listening intently now waiting to hear his plan, when all the lights in the hall and the rest of the school went out, 

" Okay, and now I'm seriously having the wiggins." And Willow nodded in agreement.

" Willow, Xander hey." Angelus called from the shadows, already in full vamp face. Oh, this is gonna be fun, a nice little birthday present for the slayer, he thought trying not to chuckle at the thought of the look on Buffy's face when she showed up at the library to find all of her friends broken, mangled bodies.

" Deadboy what the hell are you doing?" Xander asked a little agitated at Angel's appearance.

" Angel, did you see Buffy?" Willow asked.

" Yeah I saw her, I've got something to show you, Xander why don't you get the others?" Angel told him.

" Sure." Xander said, thinking it was a little odd that Angel didn't just go into the library, so he stopped as soon as he turned the corner to the library to kind of keep an eye on Willow.

" Hey Willow come here." Angelus told Willow and she took a few tentative steps towards him.

" What is it Angel?" Willow asked a little confused by Angel's weird behavior.

" Willow get away from him now." She heard a female voice command from behind her and Willow spun around to see Miss Calendar walking towards her and Angel, a cross held out in front of her, Xander behind her, the confused expression on his face mirroring Willow's own.

" Miss Calendar, its just-" Willow started to say but her words along with her oxygen were cut off when Angel clamped one strong hand around Willow's fragile throat.

" Willow!" Xander shouted in shock, surprise and fear when he saw Angel attack Willow.

" Xander, go get Faith." Miss Calendar commanded as calmly as possible, even though her own body was shaking fiercely and she was anything but calm, had she been paying attention she would have noticed that Xander hadn't moved from behind her.

" Let Willow go Angel." Miss Calendar told the vampire, taking a few steps toward them, the cross still held out defensively in front of her.

" Umm sorry, but I'm thinking no." Angel snarled at Miss Calendar, " And if you take another step I'll snap her neck." He tightened his grip around Willow's neck for emphasis, and Miss Calendar stopped moving, scanning the hallway looking for some type of weapon she could use against Angel, possibly to knock him out with, " Well now, see I have a message for Buffy-"  
" Well then give it to me yourself." Buffy interrupted and Angel turned around to see Buffy standing in the doorway, hands on her hips trying to look imposing. Fear gripped Buffy's body when she saw that he was holding Willow roughly around the throat and she couldn't help but notice the fear and panic in Willow's eyes.

" Well lover, its not really the type of message you tell, it kinda involves you finding all the broken, bleeding bodies of your friends, and your messing that up so go away." Angelus said sardonically. 

" Angel, this can't be you." Buffy said.

" I thought we all ready covered this." Angelus said tiredly and Xander took the opportunity now that Angelus was distracted to get the cross from Miss Calendar and crept up behind him.

" Angel, there has to be some part of you inside that still remembers who you are." Buffy pleaded.

" Dream on schoolgirl." Angel said coldly. " Your boyfriend is dead and you all are going to join him."  
" Leave Willow alone and deal with me." Buffy commanded.

" But she's so cute and helpless, really a turn on." Angelus said mockingly just then Xander pressed the cross his face causing Angel to jump as his flesh began to burn and sizzle, throwing Willow at Xander and sending them both sprawling to the ground, Willow coughing as the pressure on her throat was released and air began to fill her lungs once again.

" You shouldn't have done that, boy." Angelus growled at Xander clutching his cheek, where it was still smoking from the cross.

Angelus rushed forward, grabbing Buffy's upper arms, causing her to yelp more in surprise than in pain, pulling her off of the ground so that her face was barely two inches away from his own.

" Things are about to get _very _interesting." Angelus whispered, pressing his lips to Buffy's in a kiss that meant nothing but still made Buffy feel weak in the knees and unable to pull away from him. When he had finished kissing her, he flung her away from him satisfied that she had hit the wall. When she hit the ground, Buffy pulled her knees up to her chest, watching as Angel left the school, gulping in air and trembling, rocking herself slightly as she tried to keep the tears from escaping. As soon as Angel had left the school, Xander and Willow rushed over to Buffy, kneeling on either side of her.

" Buffy, what happened? Are you okay?" Willow and Xander asked in unison. But Buffy didn't respond in any way not even turning to look at her friends. She just keep staring at the spot Angel had stood only moments before. Seeing their friend's near catatonic state Willow and Xander shot each other a concerned look over Buffy's head.

" Buff, look at us please." Xander pleaded with his friend placing a hand on Buffy's trembling shoulder, " God, your shaking, tell us what happened."

" Xand, maybe we should take her into the library, I mean Angel could come back any time and she can't fight him, not like this." Willow told Xander, and he nodded in agreement reaching down to pick up Buffy, but she shook her head.

" I'm fine guys," Buffy said sniffling a little and Xander and Willow looked unconvinced, " Maybe not all that okay, but I can walk." She got to her feet then, and walked into the library sitting down, pulling her feet underneath her, hoping that Giles and Dominick would have some answers for her.

" Whoa Will what happened?" Faith asked when she saw Willow's disheveled appearance, " Are you guys okay?" Both Willow and Xander nodded distractedly, their eyes still trained on Buffy.

" So Angel's alter ego Angelus has resurfaced?" Giles asked Jenny for like the tenth time but he was still having some trouble believing what he was hearing, and she nodded. " Are you absolutely positive?"

"Yes!" This time everyone sitting in the library shouted it.

" Giles, it couldn't have been Angel, I mean he was so cruel, he came here to kill us." Willow told him sighing as she flopped down in a chair across from Buffy, unconsciously rubbing her throat as she watched her best friend concern filling her eyes. She noticed that Buffy had taken something off of her finger and was now playing with it absentmindedly, and then Willow saw a tear roll down Buffy's cheek but Buffy made no movement to wipe it away or catch it.

" What are we going to do?" Cordelia asked.

" I'm leaning toward blind panic myself." Giles said sitting down.

" Not in front of the children." Jenny told him.

" If Angelus is back, we need to find out how, why and whether or not this change is permanent." Dominick told everyone his mind already thinking of a course of action to deal with this new threat.

" Does this mean more research, cause I mean if Angel's all evil now isn't what we do kinda obvious, the girls make with the slayage and then we party." Xander explained leaning back in his chair and both Willow and Faith smacked him in the back of the head, " Ow why does everyone always do that?" He whined clutching his head as the girls glared at him, and Willow got up from her chair walking over to Buffy.

" You okay?" She asked Buffy softly, and Buffy shook her head looking up at Willow, her eyes glittering with unshed tears, " Is there anything I can do?"

" I should have known, Will, the things he said...." Buffy told her friend her voice breaking as the memories of the things Angel had said washed over her again.

" What things?" Giles asked.

" It's private." Buffy said, turning away from Giles' questioning stare

" But you didn't know Angel had turned bad?" Miss Calendar asked.

" You knew, how did you know, I mean you were the one who told me to get away from him." Willow asked, remembering now that Miss Calendar had been the only one to notice something was different about Angel, and Willow was curious as to how she had known.

" I saw his face." Miss Calendar explained, coming up with an excuse quickly, it wasn't like she could just tell them the truth.

" If only we knew how it happened." Giles said sitting down at the table.

" What do you mean?" Buffy asked. 

" Well, something set it off. Some, some, uh, event must've triggered his transformation. Well, if anyone would know, Buffy, it-it should be you. " Giles said.

" I don't." Buffy said.

" Well did something happen last night?" Giles asked his stubborn slayer. Willow noticed the look that passed over Buffy's face when Giles mentioned her telling him the reason Angel had gone bad, and suddenly Willow just knew what had happened that had turned Angel bad, they had given into their passion finally, and it had ended in Angel turning into the biggest asshole of the century. Willow wished she had an idea of what Buffy was feeling, what it would be like to share something so special with the one person you loved and have them turn all evil, but she didn't.

" Giles, please, I c-can't, I just can't, I'm sorry." Buffy managed to stay before jumping out of her chair, bolting from the library, Giles still calling after her.

" Shut up Giles!" Faith and Willow shouted in unison.

" I-I'm sorry but we really need to.." Giles trailed off looking at Dominick for back up.

" We know Rupert, but I think its best if we let Buffy be for now." Miss Calendar said placing a hand on Giles' shoulder.

" She's right Rupert, if they don't attack tonight I think we should just leave Buffy alone and we'll worry about the Judge in the morning." Dominick said agreeing with Miss Calendar's idea.

" Well, I'm going after her." Faith told them, walking towards the door, 

" You coming Will?"

" Sure Faith." Willow said, walking towards Faith and Xander got up to follow them.

" Xand," Faith said when she noticed her boyfriend standing next to them, waiting to leave and knew he probably wanted to go with them to talk to Buffy, 

" I think this is kind of a girl thing, we'll see you in the morning." She reached up and kissed Xander softly on the lips before walking out of the library Willow following her.

" But-but I want to help, I'm Buffy's friend too." Xander said softly watching his girlfriend and his best friend leave.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Buffy ran away from the high school as fast as her legs could carry her, needing to be as far away from the place where her whole world had just come crashing down around her, and away from her friends and their questioning stares; memories of the past couple of hours still swirling in her mind. She still felt numb, as if her limbs weren't connected to her body as she ran, her mind knew she was running but she didn't feel her feet hitting the ground. Her mind was in a haze and she couldn't grasp any of the many thoughts that were swirling their, it was like her mind was playing on repeat, telling her over and over again that Angel was gone. She needed to go somewhere where she could just be Buffy and give into the bone-numbing, mind paralyzing pain she felt and didn't need to deal with the slayer responsibilities. When she reached her home, the house was darkened and all shut up, and Buffy knew that both her mother and Dawn were already in bed. Buffy crept up to her room silently, pulling the door shut quietly behind her. She didn't know what to do, a part of her still wanted to curl up and cry for all she was worth and another part of her just wanted to scream, pummel something take out all of her pain and frustration the way Faith often did. She looked around her room, a room which was still full of memories of Angel, Buffy and Angel had shared their first kiss in this bedroom, he had stayed the night here when they were hiding out from a vampire gang. But then her gaze came to rest on a silver cross necklace that was hanging from her bedpost, it was the cross Angel had given to her when they first met, and it meant so much to Buffy, he had obviously given it to her because he cared about her and that was before they had even met. As she stared at it, playing with the delicate cross on the end, a sob came burst from her throat and she put her hand to her mouth turning away from the necklace. She then pulled off the ring Angel had given her as the tears began to stream freely down her cheeks. The ring had been given to her with such love and devotion, and Buffy knew it was a symbol of forever, and Buffy had shown Angel just how much he had meant to her, and how willing she was to spend forever with Angel in that one perfect moment. That moment was one of the best and worst of Buffy's life. To be that intimate with someone, to give herself so freely to the one whom she loved so much was exhilarating and freeing, but somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that in that perfect moment Angel had forfeited his soul. Buffy felt her knees go weak no longer up to the task of supporting her, and she collapsed on the bed as she began to sob harder, curling up on her side, pulling her knees to her chest, clutching the ring Angel gave her like a lifeline.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Faith and Willow ran to Buffy's house, stopping every couple of blocks so that they could catch their breath, knowing instinctively that was where Buffy had gone and wanting to get there quickly in case she did anything stupid in her fragile state. They knew how much Buffy loved Angel, and to lose him like that so quickly and without warning must be crushing her, and didn't want to leave her alone when she was hurting this badly. They reached Buffy's house and ran in the front door when they realized it wasn't locked, and up the stairs taking them two at time until Faith nearly tripped and fell over something on the darkened stairwell.

" Ow." The lump said, and as Faith's eyes adjusted to the dark she saw Dawn sitting on the stairwell clad only in pajamas.

" What are you doing Dawn?" Faith hissed, trying to keep her voice as low as possible so that they wouldn't wake their mom, but from where they were standing they could her Buffy's pained sobs and knew immediately why Dawn was there.

" Buffy's crying, what happened?" Dawn asked curiously.

" Go back to bed Dawnie, we'll take care of Buffy." Faith reassured her younger sister, helping her up off of the stairs and leading Dawn to her bedroom.

" She's gonna be okay right?" Dawn asked Faith concern for her older sister evident in her voice. Faith and Willow just shrugged honestly not knowing whether or not Buffy would be okay.

" Sweetie, we don't know if Buffy's gonna be okay, but we promise you we'll take good car of her, so just go to bed now." Faith told her younger sister, brushing some lose strands of Dawn's hair off of her face and kissing the younger girl's forehead, and walking away from her going into Buffy's room. Dawn waited until Faith and Willow went into Buffy's room, before creeping into the darkened hallway, trying to listen to the conversation going on in Buffy's bedroom.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy felt the weight on her bed shift as someone sat down next to her, and she felt someone began to softly stroke her cheek, brushing away her tears as they fell. Her heart started to beat a little bit faster because the soft touch reminded her of Angel and it gave her hope that maybe Giles and Dominick had found a way to return Angel's soul to him. She opened her eyes and saw that Faith and Willow were sitting next to her, both of their eyes filled with concern for her.

" Hey B." Faith said smiling weakly at her sister. Faith wanted to cry for Buffy, she could feel the pain radiating off of her sister in waves and it was breaking her heart. Buffy didn't deserve this, her life had been turned upside down so many times and she didn't deserve to have it messed up again, not when it was finally getting back to normal. Buffy sat up looking at both her friend and sister before her face crumpled again, her tiny body once again becoming racked with sobs. Faith didn't even think before pulling Buffy into her arms, rocking her sister slightly, trying to soothe her. Willow moved onto the other side of Buffy, placing her hand in the small of Buffy's back rubbing comforting circles into it.

" God, it hurts....it just hurts so much...I feel like I'm dying." Buffy said between sobs the words muffled by Faith's shoulder.

" Oh Buffy." Willow said a sad tone to her voice, tears filling her own eyes at the pain she heard in Buffy's voice. She looked over to see tears in Faith's eyes also, and they both shot each other helpless looks, not knowing what to do to help their hurting friend.

" Buffy, what happened with you and Angel last night?" Faith asked, hoping that by getting Buffy to talk about what happened with her and Angel they would get clues as to how he lost his soul, and it might help Buffy work through some of her pain. At the mention of the night before, all the memories of making love to Angel, his tender kisses and caresses and the way he held her so gently but firmly as she fell asleep came flooding back to her, but along with those memories came back Angelus' own critique of that beautiful moment and it was too much for Buffy to take. She felt the bile beginning to rise her in her throat and she clapped a hand over her mouth as she began to gag, pulling out of Faith's arms and running to the bathroom where she fell in front of the toilet retching violently. Faith and Willow ran after Buffy where they found her in the bathroom emptying her stomach of all the things she had eaten in the past couple of days. The girls first reaction was to say "eww" and leave the bathroom, but then they remembered how badly Buffy was hurting and that technically Buffy was grieving, and grief sometimes did weird things to people. Faith knelt down next to Buffy quickly, pulling Buffy's hair back with one hand, murmuring soft words of comfort, as Willow sat behind rubbing her back, trying to convey some sort of comfort to her hurting best friend. When Buffy had emptied her stomach of all its contents, she pushed away from Willow and Faith, leaning against the bathtub, pulling her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, putting her forehead on her knees, rocking herself slightly as the tears began to fall yet again. Buffy knew that what happened to Angel was somehow her fault, that in those moments while making love to Angel or immediately afterwards something she had done had made him lose his soul. Buffy just wanted to be alone, to hurt, to have no comfort, since she felt that she didn't deserve not after what she had done to Angel, taking away the one thing that kept him anchored to this world.

" Oh god, Angel, what have I done?" Buffy whimpered and Faith rushed forward placing a hand on Buffy's shoulder, which Buffy shrugged off quickly. Faith then knelt down in front of her sister, placing her hands on Buffy's knees.

" Buffy, sweetie look at me," Faith pleaded with her sister, pulling Buffy's head off of her knees, holding her chin firmly, forcing Buffy to look at her, " What did you do?"

" Please, just go away, Faith." Buffy sighed defeated, turning her head forceful away from Faith's concerned gaze, knowing that if she stared into her sister's dark brown eyes she would see the love and concern for her there and lose all the willpower to push her away.

" I'm not going anywhere Buffy, tell me what you did."  
" I don't know, Faith, not exactly, I gave Angel a piece of me, all of me, something no one can ever have and...and.." Buffy tried to explain to her sister not knowing how, her voice breaking as she started to sob, falling forward against Faith, knocking her sister backwards as Buffy laid her head in Faith's lap. Faith stroked Buffy's light blonde hair tenderly as her sister continued to cry out all of her pain and frustration. Faith knew what Buffy had meant when she said she had given Angel all of herself, Buffy had made love to Angel, she had given him her virginity, and in return she had lost him and gotten Angelus in his place.

Faith couldn't even began to try and comprehend what Buffy was going through, the emotions that were coursing through her body. Faith had already experienced her first time with Xander and she wouldn't give the experience up for anything, but then again she had no idea what she would have done had Xander turned evil after that beautiful experience. Willow went to the sink to get Buffy a glass of water, as she watched Faith comfort Buffy, knowing Buffy needed her sister and didn't want to break off the tender moment between the sisters. Faith felt Buffy's sobs beginning to subside and she helped her sister up off of the ground, Willow handing Buffy the glass of water, but Buffy just looked at it blankly.

" Its water, Buffy, its so you don't have vomit mouth." Willow said trying to smile gently at her friend but Buffy just took a sip of the water as Faith and Willow led her back to the bedroom, Buffy sitting on the bed.

" Get some rest, Buffy, we're gonna go home, we'll come check on you in the morning before school." Faith said, leaning down and hugging her sister, kissing the top of her head, before her and Willow turned to leave.

" You guys, could umm stay with me tonight." Buffy said softly, not wanting to lose the comfort she felt when her sister and best friend left.

" Buffy, we would, but well Will has to get home before her parents start freaking." Faith told her sister as gently as possible, she really wanted to stay and be there for her sister, but she didn't want to get Willow or herself in any trouble with either of their guardians.

" Please." Buffy pleaded, sounding like a little lost child, and the vulnerable, sad look in Buffy's eyes made Faith not care whether or not she would get in trouble for staying out all night. Faith looked at Willow, wanting to make sure it was okay with her before she agreed to stay with Buffy and knew that the look in Buffy's eyes had also took away all of Willow's fears about getting in trouble when the other girl nodded in the affirmative, Faith shutting Buffy's bedroom door behind her, walking over and sitting next to Buffy.

" So umm are we sleeping on the floor tonight?" Willow asked curiously.

" Umm, I think the bed can hold the three of us." Buffy stated trying to give them a wan smile, but failing miserably. She went to her dresser, giving Faith and Willow a pair of pajamas each, and pulling one out for herself. The three girls changed as quickly as possibly none of them comfortable changing in front of each other. When they were changed, they all squeezed into Buffy's queen-sized bed the best that they could, Buffy in between Willow and Faith, soaking up their comfort. It seemed like they had no sooner laid down, gotten comfortable and began to drift off to sleep, and Buffy began to tremble again, sniffling, which gave way to the fact that she was crying. Faith rolled over onto her side, draping her arm across Buffy's trembling frame, as Willow did the same. Soon the three friends had drifted off to sleep, Willow and Faith's arms wrapped around Buffy, holding her tightly, trying to calm her, as the tears began to dry on Buffy's cheeks.

A/N: Some lines taking from Surprise/Innocence.


	18. Surprising Revelations

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Chapter 18

Buffy was dreaming all of her friends faces were spinning around her in rapid succession, and she couldn't pick one face out of all of them, except for some reason Miss Calendar's which was the only one she could focus on. " You have to know who to trust," Buffy heard a voice say in her dream and it sounded like Angel, and again the faces began to spin in rapid succession, " And who not to trust." The faces slowed then, fading into the background until only Miss Calendar's face remained. Buffy bolted upright in bed, the quick motion waking up Faith and Willow, not to mention she also kicked Dawn, who at sometime during the night had crawled into bed with the older girls, falling asleep at the foot of Buffy's bed. Buffy stood up then, stepping over Faith and going over to her dresser. The dream had made her understand some things and she now knew that Miss Calendar was either directly or indirectly involved in Angel losing his soul or at least knew how and why it had happened.

" What's up, B?" Faith asked groggily, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she sat up in bed. Buffy was now fully dressed and standing in front of the mirror pulling her blonde hair into a ponytail, and when she spun around to pull on her shoes, ignoring Faith's question completely, Faith saw anger and steely determination in Buffy's eyes and the way she had set her jaw. Buffy pushed herself off of the ground, walking out of her room and out of the house, slamming both doors behind her. Faith got to her feet then, pulling on the clothes she had worn the night before, Willow following Faith's lead doing the same.

" What's going on? What's wrong with Buffy?" Dawn asked.

" We'll tell you later squirt, we have to go." Faith said, grabbing a brush off of Buffy's vanity and gesturing for Willow to follow her as they ran out of the house. The look that Faith had seen in Buffy's eyes that morning had her worried more than it should. She was worried that Buffy had decided to take out Angel, and Faith knew that in Buffy's emotionally vulnerable state, she would end up dead or worse, a vampire.

" Faith, where did Buffy go?" Willow asked breathlessly as she struggled to keep with Faith's brisk pace.

" Will, if I knew where she was going we wouldn't be doing the whole cat and mouse thing." Faith said exasperated and Willow quickly fell into silence not wanting to piss Faith off. They finally spotted Buffy walking in the direction of the school. _What is going on with her, _Faith thought, motioning for Willow to hurry up as the closed the gap between themselves and Buffy, but not getting to close.

Buffy could feel someone following her, and knew it was probably Faith and Willow but she kept walking, not really wanting to deal with them at that moment. She had to get to the school and find out what Miss Calendar knew or had done. Buffy reached the school, pushing open the front doors a little too forcefully, and she quickly glanced around the corridors and was grateful to see that they were empty. Buffy followed the familiar path through the halls to Miss Calendar's computer class, swinging open the door, and Giles and Miss Calendar looked at her.

" Hello Buffy." Giles said smiling at her, but Buffy ignored him, grabbing Miss Calendar by the throat and slamming her onto the desk.

" Buffy!" She heard Willow, Giles and Faith shout but ignored them her focus completely on the struggling woman in front of her.

" What do you know?!" Buffy shouted at her, and Faith rushed forward, grabbing Buffy by the waist trying to pull her off of Miss Calendar without hurting her in the process. The students in the classroom had all gotten to their feet then, staring at the confrontation in front of them, mouths gaping open in shock.

" Do you want me to get the principal?" Someone in the back of the room asked.

" No, I'll umm deal with this, you are all dismissed." Giles told the frightened and confused students and they all rushed from the room.

" B, you need to chill." Faith said, still trying to pull Buffy off, but Buffy let go of Miss Calendar.

" Did you do it? Did you change him?" Buffy asked Miss Calendar who was rubbing her throat, coughing and Buffy felt a little guilty when she saw the bruises that were already beginning to form, but she quickly pushed the guilt away. " Did you know this was going to happen?" 

" For god sakes calm down Buffy, you can't just go around accusing everybody..." Giles began to scold his slayer.

" I didn't know...exactly.....I was told," Jenny began interrupting Giles and everyone turned to her shock evident on their faces, " I was sent her to watch you. To keep you and Angel apart. They never told me what would happen."

" Jenny!" Giles shouted in disbelief, confused by this new turn of events.

" I'm sorry, Rupert, girls. Angel was supposed to pay for what he did to my people." Jenny explained, looking at the ground not able to look at the hurt and betrayal she would find on their faces.

" And me? What was I supposed to be paying for?" Buffy asked in a small hurt voice.

" I didn't know what would happen until after. I swear I would've told you." Jenny said.

" So it was me. I did it." Buffy said softly and Faith reached out to put a hand on Buffy's shoulder but she flinched away.

" I-I think so. If you did..." Jenny said trailing off.

" I don't understand." Giles said, demanding an answer as to what exactly Buffy had done to cause Angel to turn into that maniac Angelus.

" The curse. If Angel achieved true happiness even just a moment of...He would lose his soul." Jenny explained.

" How- how do you know you were responsible..." Giles began but trailed off when Buffy gave him a pointed look and he understood then, " Oh."

" If there's anything I can..." Jenny began to say.

" Curse him again." Buffy demanded.

" I-I can't, those magicks are long lost even to my people." Jenny told her.

" You did it before. It might not be too late to save him." Buffy said practically pleading.

" I-I can't, I'm sorry." Jenny said sadly.

" Then take me to someone who can." Buffy demanded. Jenny nodded knowing she could take Buffy to her Uncle Enyos, that he would be able to explain to Buffy what she couldn't and why the spell couldn't be duplicated. Faith wanted to go with her sister for moral support but more to keep Buffy and Jenny away from one another, so she, Jenny, Giles and Buffy left the school and Willow finally go the chance to take over Jenny's computer class. When they reached the hotel Jenny was the first one up to his room, the others following closely behind her. Jenny knocked softly once and when it wasn't answered immediately she walked into the room.

" Oh my god." Jenny murmured her hands flying to her mouth when she saw her uncle sprawled across the bed, covered in blood his throat ripped out, his cold dead eyes facing the door. Jenny couldn't do anything but stare at his body, completely missing the message written in blood on the wall.

" Hey what's up Miss C?" Faith asked when she heard Jenny gasp, Buffy and Giles following her into the room, all of them gasping when they saw the sight before them. Faith looked away quickly, grabbing Miss Calendar's arm, pulling the shocked and horrified woman into the hall. Giles was torn between going to comfort the woman he was falling in love with and staying in the small, silent hotel room that smelled of blood and death with his slayer. Buffy was staring at a message scrawled across the wall in blood stating "Was it good for you?" which had obviously escaped everyone else's keen notice. The message erased any doubts in her mind about who had killed the dead man before her.

"Don't let him get to you," Buffy heard Giles say softly, his voice pulling her from her thoughts, his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort and she turned to look at him, " That's what he wants to make it harder for you."

"He's only making it easier, " Buffy stated her gaze once again drawn to the message on the wall before her feeling Giles' questioning gaze on her, " I know what I have to do now, I have to kill him." She then turned away from the gory scene in front of her stalking out of the room, Giles following her at a much slower pace.

" What's wrong?" Xander asked when Buffy, Giles and Faith returned later that afternoon. He had heard from Willow how Buffy went off on Miss Calendar in the middle of one of her classes that morning, and how they had left not long after that. He couldn't help the worry which had been eating at him all morning as he wondered if his best friend and girlfriend, and the worry only increased when he saw the defeated looks on his friends faces' when they walked into the library.

" Xander, shouldn't you be in class?" Giles asked the young man a weary edge to his voice.

" Well I heard about what happened this morning and I was worried, and I see I had a right to be worried now." Xander told Giles alluding to the fact that all three of them looked like victims of some great injustice, " So what happened?"

" Jenny betrayed us, she knew about the curse all along and we found her uncle dead in his hotel room, killed by Angelus." Faith said slumping down in a chair next to Xander, who reached over rubbing circles into her back, a million questions running through his mind but he knew that now was not the time to ask them. 

" Well I have something that might cheer you up." Xander told them, just as the library doors swung open and Willow and Oz walked in. When Willow and Oz were seated at the table, Xander proceeded to tell them that he had figured out a way to possible beat the Judge. All the books had said that the Judge was unkillable, but Xander figured that was just because weapons during his reign of terror were not powerful enough. So Xander, Cordelia and Oz had snuck onto the Sunnydale Military Base stealing a rocket launcher, figuring that it was large enough to get the job done or at least majorily injure the Judge.

" Wow, Xand, you came up with that all on your own?" Faith asked amazed and Xander nodded proudly, " My boyfriend is so smart." She leaned over then giving him a passionate kiss, causing the rest of the gang to groan and Giles to clean his glasses.

" Umm guys, what do we do now?" Willow spoke up, causing Faith and Xander to stop what was rapidly becoming a steamy make out session, all attention on her, " I mean what's the plan, do we just go to the warehouse guns blazing? How do we even know that they'll be there?" 

"Only one way to find out, " Buffy said, " We go to the warehouse, if they're not there we need to figure out where they would go."

" Agreed." Giles said. The library then became a flurry of motion, everyone rushing around gathering weapons and other odds and ends. Xander, Buffy and Faith slipped into Giles' office where Xander pulled out a long crate, placing it on the desk, Giles joining them, just as curious as the kids to see the rocket launcher.

" Happy birthday guys, I hope you like the color." Xander told Faith and Buffy beginning to pry open the crate.

" Wicked cool!" Faith exclaimed gleefully.

" Yeah, this is good." Buffy agreed.

" Do you uh, " They heard someone say in the doorway and Faith and Giles turned around to see Jenny standing there looking quite uneasy, " Is there something I can do?"

" Get out." Buffy growled in a low menacing voice.

" I-I just want to help." Jenny pleaded with them, wishing they would understand why she had to do what she did.

" She said get out." Giles said, turning away from her after he spoke unable to see the dejected look in her eyes that he knew would be there when she turned and left.

" Alright Xand, show me how to use this "wicked cool" present." Buffy said smiling softly at her sister and Xander, a smile that didn't reach her eyes and was only put on for show. When Xander finished explaining to the girls how to use the rocket launcher they joined Willow, Cordelia and Oz in the main foyer of the library. Oz had agreed to drive them to wherever they needed to go, which surprised the Scoobies a little since he barely knew any of them. Oz, for his part, was only agreeing to help them out because it would be helping Willow and also gave him more time to spend with the redheaded he was quickly becoming enamored with. 

" I knew it." Buffy said when they walked in the warehouse only to find that it was completely deserted.

" Do-do we have any idea where they would go?" Giles asked trying to keep his frustration at bay.

" Well it would have to be somewhere busy since they need bodies." Faith said thoughtfully.

" How 'bout the Bronze?" Xander asked.

" It's closed tonight." Willow told him.

" Well, I think I have an idea," Oz spoke up, causing everyone to turn and look at him a little surprised since he was normally so quiet, " Well this Judge dude needs lots of bodies right well why not the mall? It's always packed there."

" Well it merits investigation." Giles said.

" Alright, Sunnydale Mall here we come." Buffy said striding out of the factory the rest of the Scoobies trailing her. When they reached the mall it seemed peaceful enough, nothing out of the ordinary for Sunnydale and all of them were feeling a little defeated thinking they had no idea what they were doing, that was until they got inside the mall, and saw that the Judge, Angel, Drusilla and a few other vampires were also just arriving taking up a spot on the balcony above the ground floor.

" Everyone but Faith stay back, damage control only. Me and Faith we got the Smurf." Buffy told her friends. They came to an abandoned refreshment stand in the middle of the mall and Buffy and Faith climbed on top of it, while the rest of the Scoobies stood around them, making sure to stay behind the refreshment stand. They watched while they were setting up that the Judge had already burnt his first human to ashes and was now standing arms open, palms flat, orange electricity flowing from him and connecting every human in the immediate vicitinity together. Faith took that opportunity to shot the crossbow she held in her hands, the arrow flying at the Judge's chest and sticking there. It had the desired affect as all the people were released from the Judge's control, and continued to go about their business as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

" Who dares?" The Judge questioned pulling the bolt from his chest and casting it to the floor like it was nothing more than a nuisance.

" Guess I got his attention." Faith said shrugging.

" Stupid mortal children, don't you know that no weapon forged can stop me?" The Judge questioning chuckling at what he thought to be their stupidity.

" That was then," Buffy said, reaching down to grab the rocket launcher from Xander, hefting it up to rest on her right shoulder, " This is now." The Judge just started at it fascinated as she flipped a few switches turning it on, placing her finger gently on the trigger. Faith jumped off the counter, joining the rest of the gang behind it.

" What's that do?" The Judge asked curiously. Both Angel and Drusilla seemed to know what it did as they ran forward, jumping over the railing just as Buffy pulled the trigger sending a rocket zooming at the Judge's chest, the kickback nearly knocking Buffy of the counter. On impact the Judge exploded into a cloud of orangish-gold fire and smoke. In the moments following the explosion chaos reigned in the mall as bits of the Judge rained down on the screaming people, the fire emergency sprinklers turning on as the cloud of smoke that had once been the Judge reached the ceiling, covering the people in a freezing cold shower.

" That was the best present ever." Buffy told Xander as she hopped off of the counter.

" Ya think he's dead?" Faith asked Buffy.

" Don't know. Just pick up the pieces and keep them separate." Buffy told her friends, as she began to walk away from her friends, stopping when she felt someone grab her arm and she turned around to look into the concerned brown eyes of her twin.

" Be careful, B." Faith said softly and Buffy nodded turning away from her friends and walking through the assorted chaos in search of Angelus.

" Pieces?! Did you say pieces?!" Cordelia called after Buffy, but Buffy just ignored her continuing to walk, " Cause I don't do pieces." She affirmed crossing her arms over her chest, pouting dramatically. Xander groaned, grabbing Cordelia's arm and pulling her along with him.

Buffy followed Angelus to a side hall, stopping him right in front of the exit.

" Leaving so soon?" Buffy asked crossing her hands over her chest, reaching into the inside of her jacket, wrapping her hands around the rough wood of the stake she kept there. Angelus didn't reply he just brought a hand up punching Buffy in the mouth, sending her sprawling to the ground landing roughly on her backside.

" You know what the worst part was? Pretending that I loved you. If I had know you would give it up so easily I never would have bothered." Angel said mockingly sneering his arms flying up in front of him, preparing for a fight as Buffy flipped herself to her feet once again.

" That doesn't work on me anymore. You're not Angel." Buffy told him disdainfully.

" You'd like to think that wouldn't you. But it doesn't matter. All that matters is you made me who I am today." Angel taunted her, and she kicked him in the face. Fighting with Angelus was like a practiced dance, they knew each other's every move and were able to block and counter each other's attack. But like fighting with Angel's every once in awhile they were able to get a punch or kick in on the other, and it seemed like Angelus was gaining the upper hand as he knocked her to the ground once again, and she didn't get up right away needing to catch her breath.

" You're not giving up on me already are you Buff? Come on kick my ass." Angelus said. Buffy got to her feet, pushing her body to the limit as she rained blow after blow down on him, knocking him into the wall, where he slumped to the ground. Buffy pulled the stake out then, ready to finish what she had started, but Angel pulled himself up off the ground, staring straight at her. Buffy looked deeply into his chocolate brown eyes, lost in memories of her and Angel and the love they had shared for one another, lowering her stake to her side, finding herself unable to use it.

" You can't do it, you can't kill me." Angel said mockingly seizing on her hesitation in her moment of weakness. Suddenly the hard look returned to Buffy's face as she kicked him in the crotch. Angelus's eyes widened as pain exploded throughout his groin and up into his belly. He found he was unable to do anything but let out a strangled moan collapsing to the ground, clutching his burning groin.

" Give me time." Buffy murmured, spinning on her heels and stalking out of the mall, pushing her wet bangs from her forehead. She leaned against Oz's van, staring out into the dark night sky, thoughts clouding her mind. She knew she should have used her stake, should have killed Angel while he was on the ground helplessly clutching at his crotch, but she couldn't do it. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she thought about the disappointment she would hear in her friends' voices, see in their eyes when they found out that she had been unable to kill Angelus. She had failed them for the first time since they found out about her gig as the slayer and she wasn't ready to let them know. She had tried to shut off her emotions, to become cold, callous and uncaring. But when Angelus had looked at her with Angel's soulful brown eyes that had once been filled with such love for Buffy and were now devoid of emotion, she found she couldn't do it, she couldn't kill the man who wore her lover's face. Buffy felt a familiar tingle shoot up her spine, and knew that Faith was close to her. She felt an arm snake around her waist, and knew it was Faith. She snuggled a little closer to her sister, drawing on her sister's strength, needing the support that only Faith could give. Faith could feel Buffy trembling ever so slightly and knew that the battle with Angelus had undoubtedly been tough on Buffy, especially if it had a dusty ending. The climb into Oz's van then, the ride back to the school done in silence as no one wanted to talk about what happened between Buffy and Angelus afraid to break the already emotionally fragile girl, not to mention they were all exhausted from the events of the past few days. When they reached the school Oz offered to drive Xander and Willow home, while Giles offered to drive Buffy and Faith home. 

" Is something wrong?" Giles asked softly when he pulled up in front of the house on Revello drive and Buffy was making no move to climb from his car.

" I-I couldn't do it." Buffy said softly, staring out of her window at the soft inviting light coming from her front porch, " I-I couldn't kill him Giles." Giles tried to hide the shocked look that passed over his face, but found he was unable to. Faith for her part climbed out of the car, knowing that Giles and Buffy needed to be alone to talk and work things out, she squeezed Buffy's shoulder comfortingly before climbing out the car, running up the steps to the house, but stopping and sitting on the top step.

" Well, then, I-I believe you know it is not over. He'll come after you particularly since he tends to strike out at the things that made him feel the most like a man." Giles told her.

" You must be so disappointed in me." Buffy said dejectedly, facing him for the first time that night, tears swimming in her eyes.

" No, no I'm not." Giles told her firmly.

" But this is all my fault!" She cried.

" I don't believe it is. Buffy, do you want me to wag my finger at you and tell you that you acted rashly? Because you did. And I can. But I know how much you loved him and how he loved you. He has proven that more than once. You had no idea what was going to happen. This coming months are going to be hard, I suspect on all of us, but if its guilt you are looking for Buffy, than I'm not you man. All you will get from me is my support, and my respect." Giles told her, and Buffy found that she could no longer keep her tears at bay, and they had began to pour down her cheeks.

" Thank you Giles." Buffy whispered her voice choke by tears, but managing to smile at him. He returned her smile, reaching for her hand nervously and giving it a gentle squeeze. In the year and half since he had known Buffy, she had begun to grow on him, to worm her way into his heart. Although Giles would never tell her this he thought of her like the daughter he would have liked to have and to see her hurting, the pain so clearly written on her face day after day, the brilliant smiles she always gave him no longer reaching her eyes was tearing him apart inside. He wanted nothing more to take her pain away, to keep her from hurting every again. Buffy pulled her hand out of his then, climbing from the car and walking slowly up the path to her front porch. Giles watched as she sat down next to Faith on the front step, and Faith, not speaking or even looking at Buffy for more than a mere second, reached out, pulling Buffy into her arms. The sound of Buffy's sobs reached his ears, breaking his heart all little more. He hadn't been lying when he had said the coming months would be hard, but he knew that Buffy would get through it with the help of her friends and her sister, that none of them would let Buffy get to lost in her grief.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*

" Did I miss anything?" Joyce asked from the doorway, a plate with three cupcakes on it in her hands, her two daughters turning from the TV to her, her heart lightening at the thought of them together.

" Nope, just some singing and dancing." Buffy said as her mom took her seat in between the girls, snuggling up to Joyce yet again. Buffy, Faith and Joyce were having a belated birthday celebration, and Dawn was already upstairs in bed, so the two of them had their mom to herself. Buffy was tired, physically and mentally exhausted and she wanted nothing more than to sleep for weeks, but another part of her wished she could curl up in her mother's arms, and cry for hours, telling her everything about being the slayer and Angel, but that was just wishful thinking. Joyce laid the cupcakes on the table. 

" I'm sorry I didn't have to make you a real cake." Joyce said apologetically, realizing that it was the first time in over a decade when she had both of her girls together for their birthday, and she really wished she had been able to make it more special for the girls.

" No, this is great mom." Faith said reassuringly, the word mom still feeling a little unusual to her.

" But we'll still go shopping on Saturday," Joyce said, and both girls looked at her, "What'd you do for your birthday? Did you have fun?"

" The gang threw us a surprise party, it was alright." Faith said purposely avoiding the parts that involved Angel or slaying.

" What about you Buffy? Did you have fun?" Joyce asked her silent daughter, wondering what had made the normally bubbly girl so reticent.

" I got older." Buffy said solemnly.

" You look the same to me." Joyce told Buffy, smiling gently. She wanted to ask her daughter what was bothering but knew Buffy wouldn't answer. Joyce leaned forward then, lighting candles on the cupcakes.

" Happy Birthday girls." Joyce said, leaning back on the couch, " I don't have to sing do I?" 

" No." Buffy said staring at her hands as Faith beamed at her mother.

" Well go on make a wish." Joyce prodded gently and Faith did as she was told blowing out the candle, but Buffy just continued to stare at the candle, " Buffy?" Joyce questioned.

" I think I'll just let it burn." Buffy told her mom softly, laying her head on her mom's lap, Joyce running her fingers through Buffy's blonde tresses, as Faith also laid her head on her mom's shoulder. Buffy pretended to be watching the movie, but she was actually watching the still burning candle, knowing that as the wax melted dripping down and landing on the frosting of the cupcake, her childhood innocence and naivety was melting away much in the same way. She once believed that wishes and dreams came true but knew now that she was wrong, the no matter how much you wished for something it wasn't going to happen. That things one believed to be perfect could fall apart in an instance and more often than not would, that no one was ever prepared for the twists life takes, and she found herself wanting that innocence back as she watched the candle burn, her eyes growing heavy and closing as she fell into a restless sleep.

* Some lines taken from Innocence.*


End file.
